Closing the Gap
by Nature9000
Summary: Tensions build between friends and family, and Tori feels powerless to stop the growing animosity, leaving everything to crumble at her feet. Tori struggles to help resolve the tension in her personal life and those around her while ignoring her own troub
1. Walls Between All

Closing the Gap

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: This focuses on Tori, and as the summary says, she will try to salvage various things before it's too late. Watching the show, I notice signs of friendships and familial connections that may be tearing apart and in this, Tori sees trouble and tries to stop it, but could it be far too late?

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Chapter 1 (The Wall between All)

"She's gone." Tori took a deep breath and lifted her trembling fingertips to the doorknob. She left Trina at the airport, then wound up driving herself home when her dad had been called to work.

Holly said she wanted to stay at the airport a while and would call a taxi when she was ready to come home.

Traffic was hell at this hour, and exhaustion wracked her aching muscles. "Four months without her." At this point she wanted to go down to the karaoke bar and sing for a bit, due to the lucrative desire to distract herself from the stress of driving, but it was that same stress that made her not want to drive.

Along with her exhaustion was a deep anger towards her parents for abandoning her at the airport. "I'm sixteen, I just got my damn license." She pushed the door aggressively and froze when she saw her friends on the couch. "What in the hell are you doing here?"

It was only Robbie, Beck, and Jade. They hadn't been there when they left, so panic started to set in and her eyes shot towards the welcome mat at her feet on the outside patio. It was slightly ajar.

"Here you go." Jade tossed the key towards her and she caught it in the air. "When you said you were dropping Trina off, we thought we'd come by and surprise you." Jade poked her thumb over her shoulder and Robbie waved. "It was his idea."

"Why? Why are you even here?" Her head felt as though someone were swinging a sledgehammer into it, and her body was on fire. This was in no way the time or place to spend any time with her friends. "Are mom and dad even back home? No. No they are not."

"We thought you might want to celebrate a bit." Jade crossed her arms and smirked. It didn't take much for Tori to know exactly what Jade was talking about; tensions had increased among her friends due to Jade's harshness towards the Vega family.

She scoffed and shut the door behind her. "Celebrate? Really?" Her hands slid to her waist and her eyes narrowed. "Celebrate what?"

"Four months without Trina to bother everyone." Tori did little in favor of her family by complaining about them on a regular basis. She knew it was her fault that the seed of distaste had been planted in her friends' wake.

"You finally get a break," Robbie laughed.

"Sure." She rolled her eyes and dropped her shoulders with a heavy sigh. Her friends were great people and she enjoyed spending time with them, but they were the only friends she had. As annoyed as she got over their bashing her family, she didn't want to get angry at them and run the risk of losing their friendship.

Alas, were divided in two, and often went to her for validation.

Jade, and Beck were the ones that held steadfast beliefs that her family was full of shit while Cat and Robbie held that they were a good family and it was wrong to disrespect them.

Andre just seemed to keep quiet unless it was to point out that he agreed with what someone said.

Tori couldn't argue when they were right about various things: Her father was negligent, her mother did have an affair that crippled her marriage, and Trina did obsess over getting attention.

"It's still not your place to worry about them." In this moment, she didn't care if she annoyed them. "You know my dad has this house rigged with silent alarms and cameras, right?" She glanced at the white pad on the wall and closed her eyes. The red light was flashing rapidly because someone entered the house. "He gets alerted every time that door opens, and can access his camera system remotely."

"So what?" Beck shrugged and her eyes darted over while flooding with tears of frustration. "You don't think he honestly checks, do you? He's never around, so he can't possibly care enough to check."

"He'd probably let a murderer in the house and do nothing," Jade retorted with haste.

Jade hated her family, or at least, she had an extreme dislike for them, and Beck sided with her because of their relationship. So to Jade, Trina going off to camp was something to celebrate, and both parents were assholes who couldn't care if their daughters dove headfirst off a cliff.

To Tori, it meant something else, something she was terrified of. "You know my sister's going off to college." She pulled the purse strap from her shoulder and struck the security system to disarm it.

Her friends wouldn't know the code, and David knew whether or not it was a family member entering the house because any of them had the code to turn the system off. "How long have you guys been here?"

"About ten minutes or so."

"Great." She stared at the now black light and her jowls intensified around a frown. "So dad's probably been alerted by now." Just as she said that, her phone started to ring. It was a musical slow tune that she assigned specifically to one person that her friends didn't know about.

She grabbed her phone from the purse and her eyes widened at the screen. "Ian," she spoke his name under a slow and heavy breath. He was the one friend she retained from her old school, but her friends likely wouldn't approve of him because he wasn't musically talented like they were, so she never brought him up.

David still liked Ian, since the boy often talked to him whenever he hung out at the house. He was unlike her other friends; always taking an interest in her family, and she loved that about him.

Due to this relationship, whenever David couldn't reach Holly, Trina, or Tori, he would contact Ian if the home alarm were going off and he couldn't get to it.

"Hold on." She brought the phone to her ear and walked a ways out of her friends' earshot. "Hey Ian."

"Tori." His voice wasn't deep, but when he spoke, it was like a melody. The minute he spoke her name, she could feel the tension in her body subside. "Is everything okay? Mr. Vega called me, said he got an alert on the phone that his alarm was going off."

"Yeah, I-" She pulled the phone back and glanced at the notification bar. She had one missed call, likely when the phone rang while she was trying to drive. "I was on the road, so I didn't answer. I'm at the house now, everything's fine."

"Okay. Well, is anything missing?"

Tori slanted her eyes at Jade and shook her head. "No. One of my friends found the spare key and wanted to surprise me."

"Oh. Okay. Just wanted to check before I drove out there."

"Thanks for your concern." When they said their goodbyes, she hung up and approached her friends. "Okay guys, I want to go up to my room and sleep. I don't have time to visit."

"Why not just come hang out with us?" Jade inquired. Tori furrowed her brow and shrugged. "We were hoping you'd come sing with us."

"I'd rather not. Not right now, I need to stick around and wait for mom and dad to get home." She often did wait for them because she wanted to help them if they needed anything. "Plus, I have a headache."

Robbie was quick to suggest them staying at the house to keep her company, much to her current dismay. "Your parents aren't likely to come home anytime soon, right?" He adjusted his thick glasses and smiled hopefully. "Surely you don't want to be alone."

Jade and Beck agreed with him, each going on about the things they could do. She had envisioned coming home, starting a hot bath, and sinking herself into it. "Okay." She puffed her cheeks up while exhaling and flexed her fingers. "Fine, you guys can stick around."

Robbie frowned at her and rolled his head to the right. "What's wrong, Tori? Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine. I just got done driving half an hour on a hellish freeway, came home to a house filled with my friends, but no I'm fine." She stormed past them and made her way to the refrigerator.

"I don't think you need to wait up for your parents," Beck remarked with casual grace, "Why worry about someone who clearly doesn't worry about you?"

She grabbed a bottle of soda from the fridge and looked over her shoulder. "They are my parents, Beck, and one of them just happens to work in a dangerous field."

"But they're never around." He put his hands behind his head and lifted his shoulders. "I say just worry about yourself. You have the talent to be a singer, focus on that and forget this bunch of ignorant people you have here."

She grit her teeth and shot a look at Jade when the girl began to nod. "He's right." Jade took a step forward and pointed at the wall as if pointing at a particular person. "You've been approached by a talent coach, he could make you into something."

"Not interested right now." Singing was a hobby for her, but primarily because she had a bigger passion for more practical work. She opted not to say she wanted to go into the science field, but she preferred scientific opportunities, much like Ian-who had been working feverishly on a science project with her before she went to Hollywood Arts.

Other than that, most of the talent coaches who approached her said she wouldn't have time for her family anymore. If she were to become famous-which wasn't what she wanted-she truly have to sacrifice her family.

The talent coach that approached her seemed passionate about getting her, but it would mean leaving school and leaving those she knew. "I'd rather have my family around."

Jade threw her hands up in exasperation and raised her voice. "Why? They don't mean anything to you." She rolled her eyes and turned to look at the girl. "They leave you alone, they ignore you and treat you like you don't exist, and don't even get me started on your sister."

Beck crossed his arms and let out a grunt. "It's probably a good thing she's going away to college when she comes back. If that's not what you just said." Tori's eyelids fell halfway and her hands fell down at her sides.

It slipped out, and Trina only mentioned it on the drive to the airport. "She said she's thinking about moving on campus, that's all." Trina couldn't stand it at the house either; everyone was too disconnected for her tastes.

She was off trying to find herself at camp, and Tori hoped she would be able to do so. It would be better for Trina to stay home during college, but she wasn't concerned with how much it would cost to live on campus.

"According to her, living on campus is less of an emotional and mental burden." Tori walked behind the couch and paused when Jade threw out an angry scoff.

"How so?" Jade snarled and bounced her right hand in the air while locking her left hand at her waist. "She's the one who is a burden. You've seen how she acts."

"I guess. I'd like to be alone right now, though." She rubbed her temple and started for the stairs. Jade, Beck and Robbie all looked at her with concern, and as she peered in their way, she could see by their awkward shifting that they wanted to say something more. "I'll call you guys later."

"Alright, fine, we'll talk later."

She gave them a smile and waited until they left to grab her phone and go upstairs.

Tori threw herself onto the bed and breathed out a quick sigh of relief. "Finally" She held the phone above herself and studied Ian's name carefully. The contact photo of him was a headshot of him with a sweet smile and brown bangs that hung like a fine-toothed comb at the border of his eye sockets.

She dialed his number and looked at the doorway for several seconds as the number rang. "Hello?" Her heart skipped at his voice. She moved her free hand behind her head and stretched her lips into a wide grin.

"I sent my friends home, mom and dad won't be home for a while, and my body is sore as hell."

"You want a massage?"

"Yes please." She rolled herself towards the edge of the bed and laughed as her head hung in the air. "I could use some relaxation. Trina's gone off to her camp, mom and dad are both doing their own thing, and I keep getting calls from that agent that wants to recruit me."

"Damn. Yeah, you sound like you need some rest. Mr. Burks is still bothering you?" Mr. Burks was the agent that wouldn't take no for an answer. Tori was afraid of just how far he'd go to convince her to take the offer.

"Yeah. He's doing everything to convince me that he can give me everything I ever want."

"Well, if it's any consolation." She smiled at the chuckle in Ian's voice. She lifted herself up and moved back against the wall. "I'd miss you very much if you took his deal."

"I'd have to move to Russia, so no, I don't think I'm planning on accepting that deal." The reason she would have to move was due to the agent being an international scout whose home base was in Russia. Tori pursed her lips and glared at the window. "I'm not leaving my family behind for international fame. Does that sound stupid to you, Ian?"

"Nah, you're a girl with value. I think it's commendable, but you know that."

"My friends think it's stupid. They think my family's too ignorant to care about and that I should just cut them off…" She shut her mouth and breathed out her nose. Her eyes drifted to the wall in front of her and her shoulders fell. "I don't want to think about that. I've got a headache, I'm exhausted, and my body is sore."

Not to mention every single nerve in her body was screaming like an upset baby that couldn't be pleased.

She thought about what her friends might say to her connection with him, and she didn't care. No one knew just how deep her relationship with a 'science geek' from another school was, and they didn't need to know.

Sadly, even her own family was in the dark. This part of her life was her secret.

"No one knows how to calm me down like you, sweetie." She wanted him over because he knew how to talk to her without upsetting her; unsurprisingly, given how long they'd known each other.

She could hear what sounded like a faucet in the background, followed closely by the clink of a dish being set on marble.

"Give me a moment to finish these dishes, then I'll be right over."

"Hurry it up, then." She would leave the door unlocked for him and kept the alarm off. "I'll be taking a hot bath, we can cuddle up on the couch and catch a movie when you're here."

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Alright so I'm going to give you the next chapter since they go together. Tensions are high here, everyone's arguing about various things and of course there's one pressing matter in Tori's life that could potentially make things go from tense to worse. I hope you'll enjoy this as it goes along. Tori's sister will be a part of this story, but as you see she's elsewhere right now. This story is a part of a project and is the second half that makes a whole story, but you don't necessarily need to know what's going on over on Trina's side of things in order to get into this tale.


	2. Secrets Can Create Trouble

Closing the Gap

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N

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Chapter 2 (Secrets Can Create Trouble)

Tori lay partially nude in her bed, with her forearms on her pillow and her head laying sideways on top of them. Her blanket covered her from the waist down, and she had a series of hot rocks strategically placed on her spine. "It feels so nice," she said in a single breath.

"Glad you think so," Ian replied. She rolled her head upright and opened her eyes to gaze at the headboard before her. Her body was so relaxed that she felt as if she'd become one with the air around her.

Ian removed the stones from her back and slid his hands slowly along the curvature of her spine. Her lips parted to release a subtle groan as his fingers reached her shoulders. "How are you feeling with your sister gone?"

"Oh." She lowered her head and body back to the bed and pushed her shoulders up. "I have mixed emotions." She missed Trina, but the girl would be back home soon, and she hoped it would be for good. "I do love my sister. I know it doesn't seem that way sometimes, but I miss her. Still, is it bad for me to say I'm a little glad I don't have to deal with some of her antics."

"It's not wrong to be annoyed by things relatives do, but you do let your friends have free reign." She rolled onto her back with a grunt and pulled her blanket up to her neck.

"Still." Her eyes met his and she pursed her lips. "I don't know what to tell them. I don't want to lose their friendship." Ian lowered himself to the edge of the bed, sitting with his fingers curling over the edge. His head bowed and his brow began to furrow.

Tori sensed the distress and reached to his closest hand, wrapping her fingers around his. "Is that why you don't tell them about me?" Her heart stopped and he turned his gaze over to her. "I understand why you don't want to tell your family about our relationship, but your friends? Are you worried they won't want anything more to do with you if they know you're dating some guy from Sherwood?"

"I…don't, no Ian, I love you and you know that." He smiled at her, though his eyebrows curled up in the middle and his head turned away.

"I love you too." She didn't tell her family about him because she knew how her dad was about his daughters dating. While he was more detached from the family nowadays, he still had a protective nature.

"Dad always took care of us when we were young, you know." She sat upright and smiled as Ian turned to look her way. "He was very protective of his family back then, so if he knew what you and I were doing, I think that would cause a lot of arguments."

"Yeah, but that's your family. Not your friends—your family should be more important than their approval of you." He put his hand to his chest and raised an eyebrow at her. "I won't go so far as to say that I should be more important than their approval of you, but if it had to come down to losing them or losing me, or losing your family…"

Her eyes widened and she reached over, throwing her arms around his neck, hugging him from behind. "Ian, no." Tears welled up in her eyes as her heart began pounding erratically. "I couldn't-" He pat her arm and leaned his head over, kissing her right wrist.

"Relax." She exhaled slowly, set her chin on his shoulder, and peered at the other end of her room. "I'll never put you in that position." She knew it hurt him to feel like he wasn't more important than her friends, she could hear that pain in his voice, but sometimes she wished he'd act more upset over it.

"Do you think it would come down to that? Do you think I might lose my family by putting my friends higher than them? I'm not doing it intentionally."

"Of course you're not." He stood up and her hands fell into her lap. "It isn't hard to see you're in the same boat as Trina." She rolled her head to the right, pursing her lips. Tori curled her hair over her ear and frowned as he began to button up his shirt. "You didn't have a lot of friends at Sherwood, Mr. and Mrs. Vega seem to be preoccupied with their own stuff, so you turn to the friends you have at Hollywood Arts for approval and attention."

While his words left a bad taste in her mouth, she didn't want to argue his point. He was right, she did feel a need to get attention from people, and the rush of attention she received from singing and dancing was a drug for her.

"I don't obsess though; I try not to." She compressed her shoulders and rolled her arms inwards as she stretched them. Her mind thought on the rush she received from such thrills as singing for an audience. "The rush of applause, the thrill of people cheering for me…I never really thought of it as a drug before."

"Anything can be a drug."

"You're saying I'm addicted to singing?"

"I'm saying you're addicted to the attention." She didn't see this as a problem, though many issues her family had seemed to stem from her involvement in Hollywood Arts. She saw the stress her friends caused her family, yet she did nothing, and this added to the stress her relatives already had whether it was from their career, marriage or personal life.

Her 'addiction' called for a lot of attention, and she knew that. It called for her family to constantly cater to her; such as driving her to concerts and letting her be pampered. Even David had to withdraw his protective nature over his family due to the number of guys that ogled her behind the scenes; then she questioned how that affected Ian.

"It isn't a bad thing, is it Ian?"

"I wouldn't call it bad, I just think you're looking for attention from the wrong people." There had to be something more to it than just her devotion to singing. There was a problem; a reason her family seemed more detached than ever before, and that problem been rooted long before Hollywood Arts was even existent in her eyes.

"There have been issues with my family long before I started going to that school." She considered herself more rebellious than her sister was, but nobody would expect it. This developed from an early age. "Dad's always been so devoted to his job, and I'll be honest…I'm not happy with his recent promotion, because it makes him even less involved with us."

"Homicide detective." Ian ran his hand through his hair, fluffing it up at the top. He sighed and dropped his shoulders. "That's a heavy job, Tori. You can't blame the guy for being stressed out." She pressed her lips together and swept her tongue along the ridges of her upper front teeth.

She ran her hand over her forehead, curling her forefingers around her bangs. "I don't." She let out a defeated breath of air and shook her head. "I blame him for not making time for us, I always have." She pushed herself up, letting her towel fall to the floor with a gentle thumping sound. "I understand job stress, Ian. I understand having no choice when someone calls a murder in at one or two in the morning, but what I don't get…what I'll never understand is why he doesn't communicate with mom or us."

Ian picked Tori's clothes off the floor and handed them over. "Have you talked to him?" She grabbed them and pulled them over her body. "All these things that are going on in your life right now. Your friends fighting, our relationship being kept under wraps, your parents divorcing, your sister wanting to leave when she gets back from camp, and this Russian bastard that wants you to throw everything in your life away for fame and glory…all you have to do is talk."

"My parents haven't gotten a divorce yet." No, they were thinking about it. Hell, Tori suspected her mother was in the throes of an affair that would make things even worse. Her entire world felt as though it was collapsing around her, and she couldn't help but to wonder if she would simply crash and burn.

Ian approached her window and peered outside. Tori adjusted the straps of her tank top and looked at her boyfriend. His muscles were tensing up and his eyes narrowed. "Speaking of the Russian guy." Her heart stopped and she ran up to the window.

Down below, a nauseating olive green sedan was pulling up to her curb. She felt Ian's arm wrap protectively around her waist and she let herself lean into him, sighing as she watched a sharp-dressed man exiting the vehicle.

"Why? Why does he show up to ruin my day?" She spun out of Ian's embrace and stormed to her bedroom door, ignoring Ian's warning to keep calm. He followed after her as she raced down the stairs. "At least it's not one of my friends, otherwise I'd have to explain your presence to them. I'm not ready to do that."

Ian rolled his eyes and smiled against the pain in his eyes. It hurt her as well, but she saw how her friends had treated her sister when Trina couldn't sing or act. They also treated Sinjin fairly poorly because all he was to them was some tech guy with obscene habits. The last thing she wanted was for them to start attacking the man she cared about.

"Have you ever thought that maybe the reason they're fighting is because they sense you don't trust them?" She stopped before the front door, her hand froze above the knob and her eyes shot out to the corners. Ian approached her from behind and set a careful hand to her shoulder. "Think about it Tori. They _are_ your friends, and you're keeping a world of information from them."

"There are things going on in my life they don't need to know about, Ian." Her chest expanded and her eyes slid towards the door. "They don't need to know the fragile circumstances surrounding my family, they don't need to know about-"

"Me?"

She closed her eyes and dropped her forehead to the door. "No, no god, it's not like that." She spun around and looked into his soft, sweet eyes. Her hands moved to his shoulders and her lips curved into a sorrowful smile. "I would love to share you with them, to tell them how amazing you make me feel, and how sweet you've been to me. I just…I don't want them to hurt you."

"Why would they hurt me?"

"They treat Trina like a piece of dirt because she can't sing or act, yet she goes to a talent school. They don't know how good she is with martial arts, and I don't know that they'd listen to me if I told them. They treat Sinjin like a sack of crap because he's a tech guy and he's got all these obscenities about him. Who are you to them, Ian? Some guy from my old school that I left behind, I'm scared they might chew you up and spit you out!"

"Have you tried trusting them? Maybe trusting that I can handle myself just fine?" Ian's hand rose to her chin, and his warm gaze comforted her. She turned her head to the side and held her breath. "You worry about so many things, Tori, but there are some things you don't need to be worried about."

"I know."

Ian lowered his hand and furrowed his brow. "Hell, this Russian agent you deal with, you haven't told anyone about him have you?"

"How can I? He wants me to leave my family behind. Going to Russia means I'll _never_ see them again. Same for my friends. I can't…I can't let them think that I would honestly consider that."

"Still." Tori spun around once the doorbell chimed. "How does your family not even know about this guy yet?" Ian stepped beside her, placed his left arm over the frame of the door and his right arm around her waist. "He shows up like what, once a week or something? Yet your friends and family at least know that _I_ exist."

Tori opened the door with a polite smile while Ian simply frowned. Standing before her was the sharp-dressed man with a bright smile and clean cut face. "Dimitri! How are you?"

"Oh I am well, Victoria. I've come to see how you are thinking about the proposition." Tori let out an airy laugh and waved her hand in the air.

"I don't know how much thought I've given it." Ian looked at her with an arched eyebrow. He expected her to say 'no', but she couldn't help it. "I think I need a little more time."

"Well if I can help you decide. I know a tempting offer." Dimitri reached into his coat and removed a glistening ticket. Tori's heart skipped when she saw it. "An invitation to a concert by an internationally famous star that I helped sign. I think you will love seeing just how much favor she has garnered, and all of that can be yours too."

Dimitri handed her the ticket and she peered at it with quivering eyes. As she held the slip, the paper began to feel heavy between her fingertips. In her mind, she saw herself waving at a crowd of millions, with lights flashing all around her.

A star loses its light in a few years, so even if she accepted the offer, she knew her fame would one day be outshined by a new up and coming star. Hell, this person that Dimitri was offering a free ticket for her to see would be outshined by her if she took this man's offer of fame and glory.

Then what would happen? By the time she returned to the states, she would have lost everything. Her sister would be gone as she was planning, her parents wouldn't be together anymore, her friends would have all vanished, and then there was Ian.

Tori looked up to the love of her life and felt her heart beginning to sink the moment his eyes connected with hers. No matter how patient he was, could he wait for her if she left with Dimitri? She didn't know how long she'd be in Russia, she didn't know what the fame and glory would do to her or how long it would take her to fall back to earth.

_"Miley Cyrus had a taste of fame, and look at her now. Drug riddled, dancing around like a tramp…what kind of fame is that? But that wouldn't happen to me. No, it wouldn't happen to me."_

"Come on give it a chance." She looked at the man with the thick Russian accent and flashed a wry smile. "I think you will like what you see."

"But if I take your offer, I have to go to Russia."

"Yes, small things."

"I have to leave my family behind. My friends."

Dimitri laughed and dismissed her concern with the flick of his hand. "They will understand, surely. You have to pursue your dreams."

"Dreams? Singing's a hobby…it feels really good, and I love the attention, but I don't necessarily think that's what I want for the rest of my life." No, Ian was right about her, she still had a love of science. She didn't know what she wanted to do or where she wanted to go, but she still wanted to go into that area of career.

She didn't think she could be a singer for the rest of her life, not with how difficult it was to become one. She may never even be as famous as Dimitri promised to make her.

"Could it hurt to try?" The man asked.

"Yeah," Ian interrupted. In a sudden motion, he took the ticket out of Tori's hand and pressed it into Dimitri's chest. "She can't make a decision of that magnitude right now. Sorry." Tori blinked as Dimitri scowled. The agent turned away with a huff and stormed out to his car.

She shut the door and looked at Ian, concerned but a bit miffed at the sudden action. He shrugged at her and walked towards the couch. "I'm sorry Tori, it's something that affects your entire life. It's something that affects everything around you. I don't think it's a decision you should even begin to make standing in the doorway of your parent's house without them even knowing about it."

"They don't-"

"What would happen if you didn't tell them?" Ian fell onto the couch and placed his left arm onto the armrest. His right arm folded over his stomach and his eyes turned up to her as his brow furrowed. "If you did not tell your parents or your sister, or even your friends that you were going to get up and move to Russia to pursue some cockamamie hunt for fame…how do you think they'd react?"

She brought her hands to her hips. "Cockamamie?"

"It's not that I don't support it, you know that I'll support whatever decision you make. I just don't think it's worthwhile enough for you to uproot your entire life and change everything for something that happens to one in a million people." Ian moved his hand to the door. "You don't know this guy, and you don't know Russia. You have no idea whether or not he'll actually propel you to fame or not."

Tori dropped her arms with a sigh of defeat, then sat down beside him. She cuddled up against him and set her head to his shoulder and her hand to his chest. "I know you're right, Ian." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "It's just so tempting."

"Yeah." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gently kissed her on the top of her head. "You have so much going on. I don't want you to think I'm yelling, because I'm not."

"You're concerned."

"Well, shouldn't I be?" Tori looked up to see a cute smirk on his face. Her heart skipped a beat and she leaned up to give him a quick peck on the lips.

"My family would hate me if I left without them knowing. I'd like to think they would get over it, but I'm pretty sure they'd be angry."

"And hurt."

"Yeah, that too." What would it matter if she went, when everything was going up in flames anyway? Tori exhaled slowly and looked to the blank television. "I just feel like…if I can't get my friends to stop fighting over every little thing, if I can't get my sister to stay here when she comes back from camp or even get my parents to see what their absence is doing to everyone…"

"You're not alone, Tori. You have me, and you know that."

"You're not mad at me?" She turned her head up to him. His eyebrows moved together and his smile swept away. "Keeping you a secret from my friends and family? Dad would be livid if he knew I was seeing someone, and I don't want him to tear us apart. Mom? I don't know what she'd do. I know Trina might not be too thrilled either. I thought keeping you from them was best for protecting us."

Ian raised his left hand up and cupped it over her hand on his chest. He leaned down, kissing her on the forehead and leaving a warm mark in place of his lips. She closed her eyes and started to smile while breathing in the comforting emotion.

"I love you, alright? I would love for the entire world to know that we're together, but until _you're_ ready to say something, I understand. Just remember, I think your friends are fighting amongst themselves because they know you don't trust them and it's getting to them. I think they would be okay knowing about us, and I think your family would too. I think they would be able to help you out with this Dimitri guy, and I'm fairly certain that you can trust them."

"It's more fear than lack of trust, but I get it. It's not easy."

"It never is."

It was more than the trust issue, though. She felt very strongly about that, and she felt like whatever problem was going on with her friends and with her family, she wanted to fix if she could.

There was a tear, a giant hole that formed between everyone. Relationships were breaking, people were splitting apart, and she didn't know what to do. Maybe she couldn't fix anything, maybe she couldn't help anyone, but nothing would get better if she didn't _try_; and she had to try.

One step at a time.

* * *

Alright, here we've seen the more personal and private drama that Tori is struggling with herself. We haven't quite gotten into the stuff that everyone else is dealing with, and Tori is going to try and fix it. Though, leaving to Russia means giving up on everybody, that is true, and it is a very tempting lure. Follow along here.


	3. Pride of Men

Closing the Gap

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Oh an important note: The character classifications are accurate. Beck and Jade are the secondary and what they're dealing with together and individually very important. Cat's also meant to play a major role, she is closest in mind to Tori, so the two resonate the best here. Another note is that Ian exists in the show, another reminder, he is the boy at the start of the Pilot episode that is helping with a science project. Trina throws him out.

* * *

Chapter 3 (Pride of Men)

The sound of a car pulling into the drive woke Tori from her slumber on Ian's shoulders. She pulled her head up and her gaze rushed towards the window. "Sounds like Dad's home. How long have I been asleep?"

Ian pulled his arm back and motioned to the television. "Movie ended about half an hour ago." She stretched her arms out and quickly pushed herself up. "I'd say you've been asleep about an hour." She adjusted the hem of her shirt and blew out a heavy breath of air.

"Fantastic." David wouldn't have an issue with Ian being there, so she was fortunate it was him and not some other guy. Even if it were Beck or Andre, David would be furious to find her at home alone with a boy.

That said, her friends hadn't yet earned the trust or respect of her father. Hell, the man would grunt if he so much as saw Tori hanging alone with _Cat_ at the house. "I'll never understand Dad, Ian. He's so distant from the family, but still so protective of Trina and myself." She did suspect it had to do with him not truly wanting to be distant, and if that were the case, maybe Ian was right to suggest she talk to her father.

He had to know his absence from their lives was hurting them more than helping.

The door opened and Tori smiled at her father as he walked in. His eyes fell on her and he raised his hand. "Hi Tori." David nodded next at Ian. "Ian." Ian sat upright and waved.

"What's up, Mr. Vega."

"Long day." David glanced to the now disarmed security system and set his briefcase down against the wall. "This was going off earlier, Tori. Why?" She didn't want to cast her friends in a negative light yet again to her father, but she also didn't want to be dishonest.

"My friends found the spare key and let themselves in." David's eyelids fell halfway and he shot Tori a disapproving glance. She shrugged. "I threw them out once I got home, no worries. They're not hooligans, Dad."

"I'm aware, but now they know where the spare key is."

"I moved it." She found a small string and tied it to the key, put a nail in the wooden portion of the house behind the bush just beneath the front left window. "It's cleverly hidden behind the window." She pointed to the left window and David followed her gesture. "They won't find it again unless they are honestly that obsessive about looking."

Ian raised his hand up, so the two paused to let him speak. "Better idea than hiding a key around the house for just anybody to find. Why not just make a set of spare keys and distribute them among yourselves? Put the spare key in your wallets or something."

David ran his thumb over his chin and hummed to himself. "Not a bad idea." He picked up his briefcase. Tori put her hands to her hips and flashed a smile at Ian. "I like this kid, Tori." Her eyes turned skywards and Ian smirked.

"Yes Dad, I know. You tell me that constantly." She watched him move into the kitchen. He carefully placed his briefcase on the counter and grabbed the refrigerator door.

"Ian, are you just over visiting or something?" Ian raised an eyebrow as David pulled a can of Miller Lite from the shelf. "Tori asked you over, I suppose?"

"Yeah she did, sir." Ian's arms spread across the top of the couch and he turned his eyes over to Tori. She was holding her breath and hoping that her dad hadn't decided to check his security cameras before coming home. If he did, he would have seen her cuddling up alongside Ian for the past hour. "She's been particularly stressed out this afternoon."

"Sorry to hear that. Break-ins will do that to you." David popped the can and smirked before bringing it up to his mouth. Ian laughed and Tori shook her head. Yes, her friends did unlawfully enter the home, but that didn't hold them criminally responsible for anything.

Ian stood up and dusted off his jeans. "I'll head on home now, if that's alright." Tori licked her lips and met Ian's eager eyes. They couldn't kiss goodbye in front of her father, but that didn't mean she couldn't walk him out to his car.

"Actually…" Ian froze and Tori's heart stopped once more as she felt her father's eyes burning them. Her fingers began to tremble and her lips separated by an inch. "I'm glad you're here. Something's going on with my laptop, I'd like for you to check it out for me."

Her shoulders fell with a sigh of relief. She ran her fingers over her forehead and closed her eyes as Ian turned around. "What's the problem with it?"

"I don't know. It's making these funny sounds, screen's flashing once in a while. Might be a virus of some sort. Maybe needs an update." David glanced at Tori, his eyebrows moved together and flattened above his eyes. "You think you can spare your friend for a moment, Victoria?"

"Of course." Sweat was trickling down the side of her head, and her cheeks were turning a light shade of pink. "Go help Dad, Ian." Ian chuckled lightly and walked towards the kitchen.

"Thank you," David replied. He pat Ian's shoulder, then walked away to his study. Tori pushed her hair back and fell back into the couch with a frustrated growl. Now that her father was gone, he would stay gone for the rest of the evening; she knew this routine well.

She heard the laptop power on, followed by a bored grunt. "His virus definitions are out of date…badly…How does this man know how to run a security system in his house if he can't update his PC?"

"Just work your magic, boy." She smirked playfully and Ian rolled his eyes while flashing a quick smile. "You want me to make you some coffee?"

"Nah, I got it."

Half an hour later Ian was still working on the laptop. He had the power cord plugged into the outlet beside the refrigerator and removed the battery. Tori made herself busy by grabbing a book to read since there wasn't anything on.

The silence was broken when Beck came by for a visit. He hardly noticed Ian standing in the kitchen with a cup of coffee and the laptop, and immediately joined Tori on the couch.

She, however, did notice Ian tensing up and glaring over the computer at the boy. The man didn't mind her friends so much, but there was an exception for Beck. After Tori made the mistake of kissing Beck just to spite Jade, Ian got upset with her. He forgave her because he knew that wasn't who she was, and it was just the lure of that school making her act like a diva, so she tried her best not to slip up again.

Hell, Trina rebuked her worse than he did when she did that. The only thing that bothered her more was the fact that Beck so often scolded Jade and put his own girlfriend down for disliking her, when in reality Beck ought to show more concern for the feelings of his girlfriend.

"What brings you here?" Tori asked him.

"I wanted to apologize for some comments Jade might have made." Tori smiled vaguely and leaned into the corner between the back cushion and armrest of the couch. Beck's brow furrowed and his eyes were fraught with concern. "She might have been a little harsh."

"She's your girlfriend, she has a right to be."

"No. No she doesn't need to be mean to you. You've done nothing wrong."

Ian's eyebrows rose and his hand reached for the coffee mug. "I'd be pissed if some guy came up and kissed my girlfriend, and I'd stay pissed at the guy." Tori closed her eyes and moved her hand up over her forehead. Beck glanced at Ian and his lips opened like the mouth of a fish.

Ian was not helping with his comments. Tori saw the way Beck acted around her, putting her before Jade from time to time, and she wanted to rectify this. The way to do that was not by pissing him off.

She wanted to make him realize that Jade needed to come first, because his actions were putting a lot of tension between the couple-tension that didn't need to be there. The blame was her own, at least that's what she felt, she opened a door that didn't need to be there. No matter how abrupt or harsh Jade was to her, to Beck, to anybody, the girl didn't deserve to have her boyfriend looking at other women as potential matches.

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

Tori dropped her hand and looked over her shoulder, ready to come to Ian's defense. Unlike Beck, who likes to scold his girlfriend in public, Tori wasn't about to scold her boyfriend in front of Beck. It would give the wrong image.

"Oh no one important." Ian slowly brought his mug towards his lips and lowered his voice to a mutter loud enough for Tori to hear but not Beck. "Just someone that knows the right chemical mixture to make you disappear without a trace…go find your woman and get away from mine."

"Ian." Tori exhaled softly and shut her eyes. "Please focus on Dad's computer." The last thing she wanted was a fight to break out between the men; and especially not with her father in the house to ask questions.

She looked back to Beck with a polite smile. Beck dropped his gaze to her and raised his eyebrows. "That's someone fixing your dad's computer?"

"That's what he is doing." She inhaled slowly and raised her shoulders. At this point, she didn't mind coming clean about Ian if it would dissuade Beck from whatever minute feelings he may have for her. Even at the risk of her friends saying something shitty about the man.

Then again, telling Beck could be a bad idea for another reason. If she truly cast that seed of doubt Beck had about Jade, and made him feel anything at all for her, then telling Beck she had a boyfriend might create a ripple of animosity that would have a domino effect. Fights would ensue, more tension would grow, and her friends would be even further split down the middle.

"Beck, Ian and I are-"

"Old friends," Ian interrupted. She flinched and felt her heart drop. The coffee mug clicked on the counter and she heard the clacking sounds of the keyboard fill the air once more. "We know each other from Sherwood."

"No we don't," She whispered under her breath. They actually met prior to Sherwood, when they were much younger. Ian's father worked in the cyber-crimes unit of the police force. Their fathers met working a homicide, and brought their kids along to a coffee shop once-neither man believed in daycare.

"I just help her father out with some technical issues once in a while."

She was crushed, but she didn't want to show it. _"Is this how he feels when I don't tell them about him?"_ Maybe he saw the same domino effect of revealing their relationship to Beck in this moment, and was trying to avoid causing that tension, but it still hurt like hell. It felt like a denial of their relationship, and she hated it. It hurt more than simply pretending there wasn't one.

"So um, Beck…" She swept a finger across her misty eyes and cleared her throat. Thankfully the moisture didn't return, so she wouldn't be seen with any tears. "You're not just hear apologizing for something your _girlfriend _said, are you?"

"No, actually I'm not." Beck swung his arm on top of the couch and started to tap his fingers. "I was wondering if your dad could help me find somebody. I don't know the guy's name though, since dad doesn't like talking about him. Jade doesn't actually think I should bother with this, so it's been causing problems with us, but…it's important to me."

"What is it?"

"Well." He ran his hand over the back of his neck and looked off to the side. "My um, my dad isn't actually my dad." Her eyebrows shot up and her jaw fell open. "There was this guy, all I know is he's from Texas somewhere, but Dad says he was always sleeping around with women. The guy was also a bit of a jerk to his own family, he hit them a lot."

"Is that why Jade doesn't think you should pursue it? Because you think this guy could be your father?"

"I know he is. He met my mom when she was on a business trip in Houston. They slept together, and when she came back, she was pregnant…."

She tucked the corner of her lower lip beneath her teeth and looked down at the couch. "I'm not sure what dad can do. I'll talk to him, but I'm not promising anything." Beck's eyes lit up hopefully and he smiled at her.

"That would be great. You don't know how much it would mean to me-I just want to know who my father is, that's all." She admired his curiosity, but at the same time, she agreed with Jade; there are some doors that should never be opened.

This could be a Pandora's box, though. "You never know Beck, you might not like what you find."

"Yeah, that's what Jade says."

"You might try listening to your girlfriend." Tori pat the couch, then pushed herself up. She turned away from Beck and looked at Ian with a frown. His eyes were glued to the computer screen and his fingers were endlessly striking the keys, they were loud and distracting. Tori bit her ip and looked to her feet as a feeling of emptiness grew around her. _"I messed up."_

"Just please talk to your dad, I don't know anyone else that has a parent able to look into this stuff."

"My dad is a homicide detective. I don't know how easy it would be for him to just look for this guy. Hell, you don't even have a name."

"Tyler. That's all I know. The guy's last name was Tyler, he had a wife and I think a baby at the time." It still wasn't much to go on. It was ironic the guy was a married man sleeping with someone else's wife, but she wasn't about to let her current annoyance force a statement.

"Pandora's box, Beck. Have you heard of it?"

"Yeah."

"Finding this guy might be just that, but if you're really pursuant…" She walked over to the kitchen and stepped alongside Ian. Her eyes moved to the monitor where she saw some status bar filling up.

"Ian?" She spoke softly and moved her hand over his. The clacking sound of the keyboard stopped and his hand curled slightly. She looked up to his half-lidded eyes and wry smile. "Are you mad at me?"

"No. Your friend is right over there, do you want him to see us together?" Tori looked over and frowned at Beck. The man wasn't watching them, he was too busy going through his cell phone at the moment.

"I really don't care." She took a deep breath and blew it out with a loud huff. "If you're mad at me, I want to change that."

Ian's eyes darted to the computer and his lips opened to release a sigh. "I'm not mad at you." Tori whined at him and gently squeezed his hand.

"I was going to tell Beck about us."

The muscles in his forehead bulged momentarily. "Like you should have done a long time ago?" He pulled his lips into a smile and opened his eyes more while looking at her.

She dropped her head and loosened her grip on Ian's hand. "You are mad at me."

"No, I am not, but we don't need to have this talk right now."

"I don't want you to be mad at me."

"I'm not mad. I just don't think the guy that's obviously into you when he's already got a girlfriend doesn't need to worry about me. Or he does, but I don't want to start shit if you're not ready to let people know that. Now _would_ be a good time to tell him you're seeing somebody, but not when I'm standing in the room and telling him could start an argument."

"Valid argument." Considering that was similar to what she was worried about, she couldn't argue with it. She didn't want to either, but as long as he wasn't mad at her, she would be okay. "Just…I don't want you leaving here angry with me. We need to work it out if you are."

"I promise you." Ian smiled at her and leaned over, kissing the top of her head. "I'm not upset with you. Relax."

"Well you're upset about_ something_." She ran her hand along his forearm, then up to his shoulder, trailing his fingers over his thin but tense arm. "You're all tense and aggravated, don't think I don't know when you're angry."

"Him." Ian's eyes darted over the computer and fell onto Beck. "I don't like him. I don't like that you kissed the guy, even though it was just taking advantage of a stupid ass play and you did it just to get back at his girlfriend…I don't like that he talks to you and treats you more importantly than her, and to me, that says he's into you. I don't like that."

While she knew Ian wasn't the jealous type, she was aware everyone could feel jealous. Especially if someone else appeared to be moving in on the person they were with. "Well you have nothing to worry about." It was still amusing to see he had more problems with Beck than he did Andre, and Andre was the one that had a more player-like attitude towards women.

As though the popular song _Flavor of the Week_ was written especially about him.

"I know. I trust you, doesn't mean I trust him." The computer chimed and Ian clapped his hands. "Finally, all done." He shut down the laptop, then closed it. "I'll take this to your dad."

"Have fun hanging out with the guy."

"Oh I will." Ian lifted the computer and smirked at her while turning his eyes over to Beck. "Try not to have too much fun with that guy." She smiled back and pecked him on the cheek, then whispered in his ear.

"Stay late, and I'll make it up to you."

Ian whistled softly and turned his head to the side. "You know your father would kill us."

"He likes you, he wouldn't mind."

"He wouldn't mind that I've been sleeping with his daughter?" Of course David would mind that, but Tori didn't think the man needed to know that information.

"He wouldn't mind the dating part, at least."

"Uh-huh." Ian kissed her on the lips and hurried off to David's study. She swooned for a second and let out a soft sigh before turning around to Beck. The man was still focused on his phone.

_"I'm starting to see why Jade feels ignored sometimes."_ She put her hands to her hips and shook her head. "You texting Jade over there, Beck?" Beck lifted his head up and waved his hand in the air.

"Nah, she's busy with some stuff right now. I'm just chatting with Andre. Letting him know I might be finding out some more info on my birth dad." A chance, yes, but no guarantee David would want to help the boy.

"I did say there was a chance I couldn't convince Dad to help with that, but I'll try…"

* * *

Quite a lot here. Yeah, everyone has a personal thing to deal with here that adds to the overall tension of the story. Hope everyone's giving this a shot. Tell me what your thoughts and observations of this chapter are, let me know.


	4. Cat's Struggle

Closing the Gap

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N

* * *

Chapter 4 (Cat's Struggle)

"Another improv lesson," Cat muttered as Tori took her seat beside the girl. Mr. Sikowitz was sitting up front and commented on Tori's late arrival to class. It was one of those hectic days in which everything that seemed to go wrong did. The car wouldn't start immediately, every stoplight was red, and then there was an accident that closed off the one road that got her to school the quickest. "You're late, he'll probably call on you."

"Anything to take my mind off driving." She pulled the ribbon from her hair that held it up in a ponytail, then dropped it onto the floor. "I can't stand driving, I'll be honest about that."

A sour expression overtook Cat, and the girl quickly shuddered. "Driving in LA? I don't blame you." Tori started to chuckle and turned towards the front of the class. "Feel free to call volunteer me if he does call you. I don't mind partnering up with you." Cat's eyelids dropped halfway and her lips curled into a brisk smile.

Tori watched the girl's eyes drift towards Robbie and they locked onto him. The girl's shoulders crashed into downward slopes and a wistful sigh fell from her lips.

She glanced at Andre and watched him divert his eyes from her. His cheeks flushed and he fidgeted his hands in his lap.

In the front row, Beck and Jade were seated together as usual. Jade's right leg was crossed over her left, and her arms were folded across her chest. Beck's arm was draped around her shoulders and he was leaning in, whispering something to her.

Up front, Sikowitz had his back turned to the class and was writing something on the board. When he turned around, his eyes flew immediately to her and she froze. Part of her hoped he didn't realize she was late, while the other part of her didn't care. In her mind, she was already conjuring up what improv act she could perform.

One idea came to her mind, but only if he would allow her to control the scene.

It would be a turn-off to the class if she went up there and tried to offer up her own ideas, but she did have an idea she thought might work. The other turn-off would be her going up there period, since she was so often the pick of the litter.

She loved the attention and wanted to be picked again, but after her talk with Ian, she was praying more that Sikowitz wouldn't put her up there. Still, the idea she was forming in her mind was a good way to send a subliminal message to Beck that she felt he needed to hear.

Tori pressed her lips together and folded her fingers over the edge of her skirt, then dropped her gaze in order to keep from making eye contact with the teacher. "Tori, you're late." Though it was soft, his voice still boomed out and shattered her ears. "What's your excuse this time?"

"Car trouble and traffic, sir."

"You know what happens when you're late, Miss Vega." She uncurled her fingers and tapped her nails on her legs. She belted out a nervous laugh as her classmates started to glare at her.

"Not today, please? I um, I've been up there almost every day this last week." She crossed her fingers and breathed in slowly as the man began walking towards her. His wrists fell behind his back and his thick eyebrows slid together.

"Then you need to come in on time, Miss Vega." He turned abruptly and pointed to the stage. "To the front. You must perform in front of the class, again." This was his method of embarrassing students who came in late, and to her dismay, most of the classmates learned to get to class early in order to avoid having to perform something on the top of their head.

She felt someone's hand on her shoulder and turned to see Cat giving her a smile. "I've got your back if you need me." Tori stood on shaky knees and took a deep breath before motioning Cat over.

"Alright. Come on." She needed to think up roles, but she had a picturesque scene in her mind. "Mr. Sikowitz, can I create the scene? I have something I want to do." Sikowitz raised an eyebrow and the rest of the class began to murmur. "I just need some actors."

"Alright Tori. Will it be the standard actors? Beck, Jade and the lot."

"Let me think." She needed a jilted boyfriend, an upset girlfriend, an apologetic girl, and a boyfriend of the jilted girlfriend. "I've got the roles I need." She leaned into Cat, whispering into the girl's ears what she wanted her part to be.

Cat's eyebrows rose and her hand moved over her mouth. Sikowitz's fingers tapped his right forearm and his head tilted to the side. "Miss Vega, are you attempting to keep the characters a secret?"

"Yes, I wish to convey something and to play a game." She turned to the man and then pointed to Robbie. He was the best fit for Cat's part. Robbie stood up and then she flicked a finger at Rex. "Leave the puppet, Robbie."

"But-"

"Please." Robbie dropped the puppet with a defeated sigh and started for the stage. When he got there, she whispered the part she wanted him to portray. "Now Andre." It was best to leave Beck and Jade where they were, otherwise she would give everything away.

When she was done letting Andre know his part, she explained to Sikowitz that she wanted to class to figure out what was going on. "This should be interesting," Cat whispered while passing her.

Tori closed her eyes and lowered her head slowly. She dipped her eyebrows in the center and her lips formed a vicious snarl. She opened her eyelids and turned her furious glare onto Andre.

"How could you?" Andre froze and she approached him like a tornado on the warpath. She slapped his shoulder with a closed fist and brought her voice to echo against the walls. "How could you let another girl kiss you! How could you side with her on everything, like she's your _pet? _Do you even care about me anymore?"

"Look it ain't like that." Andre waved his hands in front of his chest and raised his shoulders. "It was just a kiss. It meant nothing, I swear."

"Oh it didn't?" He took a step back and she pushed her hands against his chest, causing him to stagger. "If it meant nothing, then why do you follow her around like a puppy? Why don't you pay attention to me anymore?"

In her peripheral, she could tell Beck wasn't yet reacting. Jade, on the other hand was turning her head to him. Her lips pulled back and indented into her cheek, and her eyes had become misty.

Beside them, Cat had fallen to her knees and raised her enclosed hands up to Robbie. Robbie's arms were crossed and he was looking away from the redhead. "Please," Cat begged, "Please I didn't mean anything by it."

At first glance, Tori thought Cat was overdoing it, but the more she thought about it the more she liked it.

Robbie unfolded his arms and scoffed. "You betrayed my trust."

"I was just trying to get back at his girlfriend. That's all!"

"By _kissing _the asshole?" Robbie threw his hand into the air and turned to face the audience. "Of all the ways you could spite someone, I can't imagine kissing their boyfriend when you're already with someone is a good way to do it unless you were trying to hurt me in the process."

Tori winced visibly and fought off the memory of Ian's face when he learned what happened. He didn't react as dramatically as Robbie was acting now, but he was so tense and so quiet that Tori thought she killed their relationship for the longest time.

As a matter of fact, it was several hours before he let her know that he forgave her and understood she wasn't herself. She promised never to do something like that again.

"My heart belongs to you and no one else," Cat said abruptly. "I swear it." Tori moved her head back, staring at Cat with wide eyes. Those words were almost exact to what she told Ian. "Please forgive me."

Now it was time to up the conflict. She turned on Cat, approaching the woman with a roaring voice. "You." Cat turned around, her eyes wide and her body trembling. It was all a part of the act, and the girl understood that. "Why is he so focused on you? I don't get it. He's mine."

She grabbed Cat by the shirt and yanked her towards her. Her eyes burned into the redhead's retinas and a growl vibrated from her throat. "You think we're ever going to be friends after you kissed my boyfriend? Just because he lets you sit at our table doesn't mean I want you there, you little bitch. You're a home-wrecker, a boyfriend stealer!"

"I swear to god I didn't mean anything by it." Cat clenched her eyes and brought her hands up. She laced her fingers together and shook her hands. "Please. That's not who I am, I swear. I didn't mean for that to be the way I'm seen."

"No? Well it's one hell of a first impression." She released Cat's shirt and the girl fell back, pressing herself up against the wall. Tori rolled her eyes and turned her head, watching as Robbie approached Andre in a fit of dark anger.

"Listen here, pal." Robbie raised a tense fist into Andre's face, growling as the man watched it. "You've got your own girlfriend, you don't need to go near mine. Got it?"

"Dude, you've got the wrong idea," Andre let out a nervous chuckle. "It was just a kiss. Besides, _she_ kissed _me_." Andre's eyes flickered to the audience and his nose scrunched up. "Hey, she's a good kisser too."

Tori glanced at Andre, wondering what his reaction would be. She knew what Ian might do if Beck were to say those words to him.

Robbie cracked his neck and started to turn away from Andre. "Right." He then growled and spun back around, slamming his fist into Andre's gut. Andre doubled over, holding his stomach and staggering back. "That's what you get."

She hummed contemplatively, satisfied with the action. Robbie had Ian's response fairly pegged, although she didn't think he would get so aggressively violent.

On cue she ran over to Andre, kneeling down as he dropped to his knees, then put an arm around him. "Honey, are you alright? What happened?"

Andre draped an arm around he shoulders, letting her help him to his feet. "Fine, I'm fine." He spoke through clenched teeth and looked up at her. "I-I'm sorry. Really. I didn't mean to hurt you." She started to smile.

"I forgive you. Come on, let's get you fixed up." She led him of the stage and looked over to Cat and Robbie.

Robbie approached her and moved his arms around her, causing a furious blush to streak across her cheeks. Tori raised an eyebrow and tilted her head.

This wasn't a part of the act, but she was already aware that Cat liked Robbie-it was the reason she paired them onstage. "You love me again?" Cat asked with a trembling voice. Robbie started to chuckle and gazed into her eyes.

"I never stopped."

"I…" Cat tucked a strand of hair over her ear and pulled away from him. "What can I do to make this right to her? I don't want that girl hating me for a mistake that should never have happened."

"Just be nice and give her some time to forgive." He shrugged and looked out to the audience. "And don't give her any reason to suspect you're trying to take her boyfriend…especially when you have me."

"I will." She put her arm around his and walked offstage with him.

The four then returned to the stage, hand in hand, and bowed. The class applauded and Sikowitz stared at them with astonishment. "Not bad," he said, "Not bad at all."

"Typical!" One of the classmates called out to her and she felt a sudden shift in the energy. "Of course they did well, they're your stars after all. None of us get any attention." Her heart shriveled up and she pulled her hand up over her mouth.

_"Why do I recognize that feeling?" _ Her stomach churned and she made her way back to the seat, ignoring some of the other classmates agreeing with the initial statement. It took some time for Sikowitz to calm them down, but the damage had already been done and she was regretting her decision to not beg the teacher to not make her do the play.

After the class she was eager to leave and didn't feel much like meeting her friends for lunch. She wanted to give Ian a call, so she slipped away from her friends and started for the bathroom.

To her surprise, Cat followed her in. She looked up from her cell phone and watched as Cat leaned against the bathroom countertop. "So Tori, I was wondering your inspiration for the play. I thought it was good…ignore what the other students said."

"That's hard to do." She dropped her purse onto the counter and slid her phone into it. "Especially when they're right." She looked into the mirror and groaned at the face that was peering back at her. "God, I don't get it. Acting and singing, it's all a hobby to be honest."

Cat's lips flattened and she approached her slowly. The girl shrugged and pushed her hands down along her pink skirt. "If you didn't want to go up, you should have just told Mr. Sikowitz. That performance, you wanted it…I saw you looking at Beck and Jade during it. They didn't seem to catch it, but you based yourself and Andre off them, didn't you?"

"I…" She caught herself. Her right hand gripped the side of her purse firmly and she peered down at the contents of the purse with absent eyes. "What do you want to hear?"

"Look. I'm not as naïve as I seem. I know you based my role off you, so…what about Robbie?" She sucked her lips inwards and turned her eyes away from Cat. Her left foot began to tap the ground and she tried to think of a way to change the subject. "Tori, please. Talk to me." Cat put her hands to her hips and glanced at the mirror with a heavy sigh. "I feel like everyone's falling apart. Everyone's becoming so distant. I feel like I can talk to you, so why can't you talk to me?"

"It's complicated."

"Complicated?" Cat laughed once and walked past her, brushing her shoulder across Tori's back. "Don't talk to me about complicated. You want complicated, I know complicated."

Tori closed her eyes and leaned forward, sliding her palms along the counter. She bowed her head and dropped her shoulder. "I'm serious Cat. You wouldn't understand."

"Will you tell me, if I tell you something about myself?" She turned her head and watched as Cat's chipper demeanor faded. "You tell me what's bothering you, I'll tell you something that's bothering me…something that kind of scares me, confusing." Tori stood upright and turned around.

"What scares you?" She leaned back against the counter and crossed her arms. Cat's eyes drifted to the door and a sorrowful sigh drifted out from her parted lips.

"This…" The girl closed her eyes and her hands began to close. "This stays between the two of us, okay? I'm trying to figure this out myself, but, I really need to talk to someone."

Tori furrowed her brow and unfolded her arms. She lowered her voice and approached the girl. "You can tell me." She'd make the deal. As long as it stayed between the two of them-she wasn't ready for the others to know about Ian yet.

Cat looked at the bathroom stalls, studying each of them for an extended period of time. She tilted her head back and took a shuddering breath. "Okay." Cat bowed her head and gently shook it from side to side.

Sensing her distress, Tori raised her hand to Cat's shoulder and squeezed it in an attempt to offer some comfort. The girl looked into her eyes with a sad smile. "Tori, I can't figure out what I want. Okay? I mean…" Cat pulled away from her and raised her hand up to her forehead, sighing heavily. "On one hand, I really like Robbie. I want to be with him, I wish he'd notice me and maybe we could go on a date…"

With Cat's tone, she felt like there was a counterpoint coming. She was happy to hear Cat come clean about her feelings for Robbie and was fully prepared to lend whatever advice she could. "There's nothing wrong with liking him."

Cat slid her hands up to her waist and raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Except for the fact that he tends to be a bit of a creeper." Tori bounced her head to the right and Cat's hands fell to the sides. "But it really doesn't end there."

Cat started to choke, so Tori tried to offer further reassurance with a smile. "Take a breath, relax, and tell me."

"You won't judge me?"

"I'll try not to."

The girl inhaled again and pressed her back against the wall. "Sexually. Sexually, I'm attracted to women. Romantically I'm attracted to men. I can't figure out what to do." Tori opened her mouth, but her body froze with shock.

Cat slid down to the ground and pushed her hands into her hair. Her body began to tremble and she started to state her dismay over saying anything.

It took Tori a few seconds to recover from the shock. She didn't think there was anything wrong with what Cat said, but it wasn't easy for her to find the right words to say.

"I have a boyfriend," Tori said finally. Cat lowered her hands and looked up with a confused expression. Tori sat beside her and bent her left knee upwards. She hung her left arm over her knee and stared at the door in front of them. "That's my secret. I've had a boyfriend for years, we've had sex multiple times, and I'm _terrified_ that the others will tear him apart because he's not musically talented nor does he care about acting."

"That's it?"

"Well. That, and I'm really stressed out with a whole bunch of crap crashing down." Tori breathed in and looked sideways at Cat. "So. You can't decide whether or not you want to be with guys or girls?"

"It's not really that simple. I've never had sex with anyone, but I lean towards women sexually. But I'd rather date a guy, more specifically I'd rather date Robbie, but…" Cat pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. "I can't picture us in any sexual way."

"Thank you for telling me, Cat." She didn't fully understand, but she would try to. At the very least she wanted to help her friend out in any way she could. Cat flashed a smile and Tori gently pat her on the wrist. "I hope you know your secret is safe with me."

"Yours too, I guess." Cat shrugged. "I mean, you can tell the others whenever you feel like it. I have a feeling they've got their own problems to deal with, so they probably won't react as negatively as you're afraid of…but thanks for telling me. I hope you'll tell me more about him."

"I will. When we're not in the school bathroom." The two laughed for a moment, then Tori stood up and helped the redhead to her feet. "Do you mind if I ask…have you been sexually attracted to anyone we know?"

Cat hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Yes. That's what makes it worse for me. I know nothing will ever happen, nothing should happen with us, but I can't stop fantasizing…" Cat took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "I'd rather not name names right now."

"I understand." It did explain why Cat appeared to be 'disappearing' from the group lately. She wanted to figure out who it was, but the girl would let her know when she was comfortable enough.

When she turned to look at her, she saw Cat averting her gaze and rubbing her left arm. Feeling that she shouldn't press her any further, she motioned for her to follow. "Let's meet up with the others, I'm sure they're wondering where we are." Cat looked back and raised an eyebrow.

"You had your phone out. Weren't you about to call someone?"

"Yes. Ian."

"Ian? Your boyfriend?"

"That's right."

"Why don't you call him."

"He's at school. His lunch break is probably over by now, so I don't want to call him during class."

"Got it." The two hurried out of the bathroom and walked down the hall. It was oddly silent, despite the several students littering the halls. "Hey Tori. When will Trina be back? Do you know?" Tori raised an eyebrow and glanced over her shoulder.

"Not until the end of the coming summer. Why?"

"No reason. I was just curious." She breathed in and pushed open the doors leading to the outside lounge. When they stepped outside and she looked to their usual table, she was relieved to see their friends still sitting in place.

* * *

So we see the struggle that Cat is dealing with. it's a tense issue, and I'm still studying it a bit. Tori finally told someone about Ian, at the very least, and that may prove helpful. What are your thoughts?


	5. A Father on Probation

Closing the Gap

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N

* * *

Chapter 5 (Father on Probation)

Tori arrived home and slung her bookbag onto the couch with an exasperated sigh. Her father was sitting on the far cushion with a newspaper in his hands. He folded the paper and looked up to her with a furrowed brow. "Long day?"

"Why do we have to live in LA?" She dropped down beside him and swept her hands through her hair. "I swear to god the traffic has gotten worse." Her usual route to and from school was undergoing construction in multiple areas, so she needed to find a different way, but wasn't sure of any.

"I was late to class." She dropped her hands to her lap and let her trembling shoulders sink. "So Sikowitz made me perform in front of everyone again." Her fingers curled briefly and her words quivered from her lips. "Which sucks more than ever."

"That never seemed to bother you before."

"Because it's a hobby, Dad. It's not my life, it isn't what I want to do with my life." He put an arm around her shoulders and pat her shoulder as she leaned into him. "I don't know why Trina pushed so hard for me to go to that school. I miss my friends at Sherwood."

"Don't you still see Ian?" David lifted his head up and pat her arm once more. "Regularly, I might add." She laughed, then trailed off and fell silent. David's fatherly smile warmed her for the moment, giving her a strange comfort that pulled her away from the tension within. "Your sister saw you doing something that you enjoyed, and thought Hollywood Arts would be good for you."

"They focus too much on art and theater." She leaned into an upright position and looked at a framed photograph on the television stand. It was of a small German Shepherd, a childhood pet they had from when their father was on his last years of the K-9 unit.

She curled her lips and closed her eyes, remembering the joyous and blissful years with the pup she adored. The last she saw the dog, she was six or seven years old, but she never could forget that fond memory of frolicking in the back yard most times after school.

"You miss ol' Shep, sweetie?"

"Of course." Her shoulders rose and fell. Shep was the last dog they had; evidently her father never wanted to own one after what happened to Shep. "I remember when we would take him to the vet, and I'd always ask the veterinarian these questions." A sorrowful chuckle drifted from her lips, and a dull ache spread over her chest. "I still love animals, still want to work with animals."

"There's nothing stopping you."

"Sure there is. Everything could fall apart. Everything that could go wrong could very well go wrong." Her fears of losing her other family members was too great, but if they all broke away from each other, then she felt no other option but to give up on her dreams.

"Where's mom at, anyway?" She watched her father's pleasant expression fade. His eyebrows flatlined over his eyes, the corners of his mouth pushed into his cheeks and his jaw locked in place.

"She's out again." Tori rolled her eye and looked away, muttering her disapproval. She pushed herself up from the couch and tore her backpack from its resting place. "Is something the matter?"

"No." She slung the pack onto her back and started walking towards the steps. Her right hand compressed around the right arm strap and Tori stopped short of the bottom step. Her eyes fell towards the stairwell and her brow furrowed.

In her mind she envisioned the storm that had been pulling her family apart. From her mother's late nights at the hospital to her father's distancing himself, the force felt far too powerful to be survivable.

Something had to be done. Maybe their relationships couldn't be mended, maybe she couldn't fix everyone's problem, but they were all damned if no one tried.

"Actually, Dad." She saw him twist around to the right, his right elbow hung over the top of the couch and his eyes flew into hers. She loosened her grip on the strap, letting it slide down her shoulder an inch. "There is a problem. There's always been a problem."

"You know you can talk to me, right?"

"Do I? This is the _longest_ we've been in the same room since I was a kid." She let her backpack slide away from her and fall to the ground beside the post. Her lungs swelled and her heart began to race as she turned to him.

David's arm rolled over the top of the sofa, falling down the back. He closed his mouth and a wrinkle pushed up between his eyebrows.

"It's bad enough there's this tension with my friends. I can feel them slipping away." She reached up and pulled her bangs from her face. "But my family? Dad, we've had problems long before I even started at HA. We've had problems since at least when we lost Shep."

"Tori…"

"No. I hate to say it, but Dad, a lot of it is your fault." He jerked his head back and she walked towards him. "I mean we're all to blame, but look at what you're doing? We barely see you, and when we do, it's usually brief. You don't talk to us, you don't spend time with us…you come home from work and race into your office."

She flung her arm out towards the door. Her voice was quickening and a sudden wave of heat washed over her seemingly out of nowhere. "Maybe mom wouldn't be away all the time if you talked to her and spent some time with her. Maybe I wouldn't have to feel like I need to get attention from people at school if you paid just a little bit of attention to us, and maybe…just _maybe_, Trina wouldn't be leaving us behind if she thought you cared about her."

His eyebrows shot up and the newspaper in his lap fell to the side as he began to rise. "What do you mean your sister's leaving us?" She crossed her arms and turned her head, casting a lingering gaze on the kitchen countertop.

Her voice fell as the heated air around them seemed to deepen like a fire bursting in all directions. The muscles in her arms tensed and her lips twisted into a frown. "Do you care about us, Dad? Do you love us?"

"Of course I do."

"Then why do you ignore us?" She cast an accusing glare onto him, watching his body stiffen. Concern etched over his face and he lifted his hand as though to reach out to her.

"That's not my intent. I-Did you say your sister was leaving?"

"Oh my god." Her arms fell to the sides and her eyes closed. "Yes. I overheard her talking to someone, I think it was Uncle George, she says she was thinking of leaving us to go to college somewhere else. She told him she didn't know how well she saw us in her future, 'if at all'."

While David would never admit to it, the inexplicable sadness currently in his eyes told her enough to confirm Trina was indeed his favorite. It wasn't a surprise, the family was aware he favored her because she was the one that always took more of an interest in the things he enjoyed.

"Why would she do that?"

"Because she thinks we don't give a rat's ass about her. Given how you just ignore us like we no longer exist, I'm not surprised."

"That could not be further from the truth. I love all of you. You, your sister, your mother."

Her voice broke and the air in her throat grew tight, making it difficult to breathe. "Then why don't you show it?" Tears formed beneath her eyelids, and sweat permeated from her neck and shoulders. "Why does it feel like I'm going to end up alone, that everyone in my family is ripping apart? Why has it felt that way for years?"

"I can't…" David lowered his hand and walked around the couch, stopping at its side. He placed a firm left hand on the top corner of the sofa and bowed his head. His shoulders and chest sank as a heavy sigh fell from his lips. "It's complicated, I don't know if you can understand."

"Maybe _try_?"

The front door slid open and Holly entered, shuffling through her purse. The moment she looked up, she froze, seemingly sensing the tension. David's body trembled and Tori held him in place with her unwavering glare. "What is going on here?" Holly asked.

No answer came. David pulled his hand from the sofa and slid it down the lower half of his face. "You know my job is difficult. There are people out there that could go through great lengths to attack me, my family…" He lifted his head, turning his eyes into hers.

"I can't lose you guys, but every night since I started working Homicide, I imagine the worst. Every crime scene I go to, the children are the worst to see because when you have kids at home…you see them. Maybe I've become unattached by trying to separate."

"But we're not there." Tori relaxed and took a small step towards her father. Her eyes softened and her hands uncurled. "We're here, at home. Safe, alive…you should talk to us, instead staying away just makes it harder for everyone. What are you scared of, Dad?"

"Why do you think I have security cameras installed throughout the house? Why do you think I'm so protective. I can't lose the people I care about."

Holly's eyes drifted to the man and her lips opened into a small oval.

"Don't you see what's happening the more you avoid us?" She swallowed the tightness in her throat and swept away the mist in her eyes. "Trina's ready to leave us when she gets home from the trip, and I don't even know if you and mom are going to get a divorce." He raised an eyebrow and Holly cleared her throat.

"I don't know about that," Holly interjected. "It's been a thought, but…" David's eyes grew and he turned on his heels, looking in horror at his wife. "I'm not quite there yet."

"What can I do?" He asked incredulously.

"Be with us, and we'll be with you. Ignore us, we'll ignore you. Leave us and we'll leave you." It seemed appealing to the issue he was afraid of most was the way to get through to him. Hopefully he could hear their pleas, but even if he did, there was a long way to go before that could be repaired.

"I'll try. It gets to be too much sometimes. It's hard not to see you when I walk a crime scene, or whenever I am with you, I see those bodies, but I will try." He walked to his wife and took her hands in his. She looked up at him with a subtle smile. "I love you honey, please will you be here with your family?"

Holly glanced at Tori for a moment, then her eyes flickered back to her husband. "If you'll actually be a part of our lives for once, sure." Pride glinted in Tori's eyes and her lips pulled back into a confident smile. "If I'm honest with you, I was talking to our attorney."

Tori held her breath and brought her hand up to her chest, waiting as her father's eyes flashed with pain. He closed his eyes and breathed in slowly.

"Please, give me a chance. I will try to be a husband, a father, just I cannot lose my family."

"If we're that important to you, you should've never started avoiding us to begin with."

"I'm sorry, and I know sorry isn't enough, but let me try."

"Right." Holly chuckled once, then leaned forward to embrace him. "You're on probation," she whispered. Tori released her breath and ran her hand across her forehead.

Tori bit her lip and started to turn when she remembered the favor Beck wanted her to ask her father. She snapped her fingers and turned back to him. "I do have something one of my friends wanted me to bring up with you…" David pulled away from Holly, but kept his right arm around her waist. He looked to Tori, saying nothing.

"Beck, actually." His eyebrow rose and his expression fell flat. "He wants to know if you can help find his birth father."

"Why?"

"Because you're a cop and he thinks you can help locate someone. I think he just wants to know more about the guy."

"I'm a homicide detective, my capabilities are limited. Have the boy talk with me and I'll see if I can help him at all. I'm making no promises, though." It was more than she expected, but at least it was something.

"That'll work." She moved for the stairs and grabbed her backpack from the floor. She hoped her dad got the message, and if so, he currently stood the best chance of intelligence than some people she was dealing with.

Hopefully David would be true to his word and actually try to be a part of his family's life. If so, she may be able to breathe easier.

* * *

Sorry it's been a while, things have been rough and busy but here's the next chapter for you. What are your thoughts? Do you think David can make things right? How do you feel about everything?


	6. Sage Advice

Closing the Gap

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N

* * *

Chapter 6 (Sage Advice)

Tori stretched herself out on the bed, groaning as Ian fell slowly beside her. She turned to him and let a smile curl up and into her cheeks. "I love you." She kissed his lips and let him pull her into a warm, tender embrace.

"I love you too." For this moment he was the distraction, the one she called to sweep her away from her friends. She left them to argue with one another during their poker game and had Ian climb through the window to spend some quality time with her. "I do enjoy these moments, Tori." He teased her with a smirk and she turned her head away to laugh.

"We really shouldn't do this when they're downstairs, though." She was accustomed to the secret trysts they had when nobody was looking, and she'd come to learn how to hold back her voice when she was reaching the climax of their lovemaking. "Do you think they've noticed I'm gone?"

Ian glanced at the clock. "If they're still bickering, probably not." She rolled onto her side and pushed her back up against his bare chest. Her left arm rolled outward and hung partially over the edge of the bed. "What were they arguing about, again?"

Her eyes closed and she smiled as Ian leaned over and kissed her temple. His hand cupped her waist and his body had shifted up above hers. "I don't remember. I think Jade started to accuse Beck of being a womanizer, and it escalated from there."

In defending himself, Beck said Andre was more of a womanizer than he was, accusing Andre of the truth; he had a different woman each week. Robbie and Cat somehow got wrapped up in the argument as well, and soon everybody was yelling about something. The initial cause of the argument hadn't even been the topic they were arguing over when she slipped away.

"You probably should go back down there."

"In a minute." She did tell them she would be taking a shower, though they probably didn't hear her. Even still, she had to make it appear that she'd finished taking a shower, not having sex.

Her eyes flew open and she twisted back and flashed a smirk at Ian. "How would you like to rub me down with soap?" He raised an eyebrow and leaned back a bit. "I guarantee…" Her arms slid around his neck and her head leaned towards him, stopping just an inch away from his face. Her eyelids fell halfway and a soft whisper rolled from her lips. "It'll be the best shower of your life, but we need to make it quick."

"Not that I'm complaining, but we just made love dear." He smirked and pecked her upper lip. She pushed her hips into his thigh, rolling up along his groin. "Where do you get that libido?"

"Honestly, I'm not sure." If it was a serious question, she'd suggest her father. After all, the Latina blood they joked about came from him. "The sex is a great stress reliever." Tori kissed his jaw and smiled as she looked into his warm, tender gaze and allowed herself to be drawn in by him once more. "I love you."

"I love you too." He kissed her lips and gave her a gentle squeeze. "Lead the way, sweetheart."

She opened her mouth to speak, but was silenced by a quick knock at their door. Ian tensed and Tori lifted her head away from the pillow. "Who is it?" She asked with a nervous voice.

They were caught. Her friends must have discovered she wasn't taking a shower yet.

"It's just me," Cat answered. Tori brought her hand to her chest and sighed as relief swept over her and her heart began to beat once more. "I'm wondering if you and Ian are done yet, I've kept the others busy for the last half hour or so." Ian raised a brow and Tori dropped her head down to the pillow.

"We were just finishing up. I was about to take a brisk shower just to clean up. How did you know Ian was here?" He knew Cat knew about him now, and was happy she finally told someone. Although Ian clearly wished she told the others as well.

"When you were taking so long, I came up to see if you were alright and I heard you guys talking…and stuff." Her cheeks turned a shade of violet and she pulled her right hand up to her forehead. "You know that squealing and whimpering thing you do? Sexy, and kind of cute."

She paused and her eyebrows fell into a flat line over her eyes. Ian glanced at her with a smirk and spoke with a whisper. "You know. She's right, it is cute." She rolled her eyes and threw the covers off her body.

"Go back downstairs Cat, and tell the others I'll be done in five to ten." She stood up and turned to Ian, taking his hands with hers and tugging on them. Her mouth slid into a subtle smirk and her eyebrows bounced. "Cone on Casanova, you owe me a good rubdown."

He rose out of the bed and she pulled his body against hers. Her fingers laced with his and her hands pulled back towards her waist, holding his hands at her sides. Tori then leaned up to kiss him once more and laughed as he wrapped his arms around her body.

Within ten minutes she was dressed and moving downstairs where Cat was still attempting to keep the peace. Everyone appeared tense and hunched over their cards, which alone was a surprise to Tori. "You're all still playing poker?"

"The game has changed a few times," Robbie answered while turning to look. "It's not easy when everyone's fighting about something. How's your headache?"

"Better. Sorry for the abrupt abandonment."

"To be honest?" He motioned to the others. Beck's face was practically buried in his hand, his torso was hunched forward and his shoulders were high and compressing into his neck. Jade sat beside him, her right arm was draped and hung over the back of her chair, her posture was slouched and her blank expression focused onto her boyfriend.

Andre was glaring at the cards on the table before him, his shoulders were broad and his tight arms were folded across his chest.

The tension in the air was thick, so thick that it was difficult to breathe. "I don't think they even noticed you were gone," Robbie continued. Tori held onto her breath, fearing it would vanish the minute she released it.

"The topic of the fight also changed several times. Now most currently Jade and Beck seem to be upset over his wanting to find his real dad, Andre seems to think he should move on, and then someone made a jab at Andre's dead dad and brothers."

Cat cracked her knuckles and picked up her cards. "At one point they were fighting over about stressing you out." Tori looked over to the redhead with a faint smile and reluctantly approached the table. The girl flashed a toothy grin and raised her eyebrows. "I told them you were using some extremely good stress relieving methods in the shower."

"Enough of this," Beck grumbled, "Let's play the card game. I'm sick of all this talking. Jade, would you deal Tori in?" Jade shrugged and looked away.

"Maybe you should, since you like her so much."

Beck shut his eyes and could be heard grinding his teeth. "For the love of…" He bowed his head Tori held her breath and the others turned to glance as the man raised his eyes to Jade. "You're the dealer! Would you kindly stop acting like a victim every time we're with our friends?"

"How am I acting like a victim, Beck?"

"Because you can't get over something that happened a long time ago."

"Was it that long ago? Really?" Jade crossed her arms and her narrow glare darted over to Tori. "I suppose I should just all of a sudden like the girl you kissed because you want to be friends with her?"

Tori heard footsteps behind her and twisted around to see Ian making his way down the stairs. His mouth was twisted into a sneaky smirk and his half-lidded gaze fell onto the couple. "No one says you have to be friends with someone that kissed your lover, but civility is always welcome." Tori's eyes widened and Cat stood from the table as Beck and Jade turned to look.

"What's he doing here?" Beck asked with an annoyed jump in his tone. "Why the hell is your dad's tech friend in the house?"

"I could ask why you're here as well. I'm sure our answers would be similar." Cat rushed over to him and put her hands to Ian's chest to keep him from getting any closer to Beck. Ian pulled away from her with a sigh and shut his eyes. "I was busy trying to fix Mrs. Vega's laptop. It seems the whole family is having computer trouble."

Beck slung his elbow over the chair and a deadpan expression spread across his face. "And you just happened to be working upstairs while his daughter was taking a shower? I hope you weren't peeping in on her shower…"

"I don't think that's your place to say," Tori said under her breath. Her heart was racing and she could feel every muscle in her body tightening as Ian studied the couple.

Jade stood up and dropped her hands to her waist, shooting her boyfriend a piercing glare. "And if he was?" Beck looked up to her, his jaw fell open and his eyebrows rose. "Why do you care?" He pulled his hands to his chest defensively, raising his voice.

"Tori _is _a friend, that's all I'm saying. We don't know this guy. All we know is Mr. Vega won't let any of _us_ upstairs when his kids are home and he's not, but this guy's up there working on her mother's computer while Tori's taking a shower?"

"Oh sure, get protective of her why don't you." Jade rolled her eyes and slapped her hand into the air, motioning to Ian. "He could have his hands all over Tori for all I care, I'm more interested in knowing why _you_ care." A blush crept over Tori's face and she looked to her boyfriend with a silent question, wondering what his plan was.

She knew he had to come downstairs to leave the house, so she wasn't faulting him for that. Ian would have had to say something, to come up with a story as to why he was in the house as the group would have raised more question about him just slipping out without a word.

Still, this was not what she envisioned happening.

"A little advice for you," Ian said plaintively while approaching Jade. The woman turned to him, her eyes slanted and her eyebrows dipped into the middle. "I'm in a very similar boat as you are." He pat his chest and Tori averted her eyes. "I have a girlfriend, great woman, very deep in love. She slipped up, made a mistake and kissed another man."

Tori folded her fingers around her cards and her lips tightened together. Her eyes dropped to the table where her left hand was resting, and she began absently tapping her nails on the surface.

"So what happened?" Jade pulled her hands to her waist and raised an eyebrow. "Only asking because you said 'similar situation', so how much of my situation do_ you_ know?"

"I overheard you and your boyfriend here fighting about it, so I thought I'd give a little advice. Unsolicited but it could help you out." Jade's fingernails tapped her waist and a low, hesitant growl vibrated from her throat.

"Fine. Say what you feel like saying."

"Right." Ian crossed his arms and raised his shoulders. "Just be civilized, because the more you fight in front of your boyfriend and your friends, the more stress you put not only on yourself but everyone else." Jade turned her head away, scoffing loudly.

"As if. Would you be 'civil' towards this man your girlfriend kissed?" Tori flinched and her eyes darted over to Beck. Ian scratched at his chin and started humming for a few seconds.

"Well as much as I want to kill the guy, I haven't done anything to hurt him, and I don't intend to unless he were to start something." Ian dropped his hand and let out a heavy sigh. "My girlfriend wants to be friendly with him, so I trust her."

"Doesn't mean you don't watch, does it?"

"Oh I watch." Ian looked past her and his heated gaze burned into Beck. "But the thing is, I trust my girlfriend not to be the one that makes an advance."

"Has she ever cheated on you?" Jade circled him. The skin around her noses and the inner corners of her eyes tensed, and two lines stretched out from the corners of her lips. "Has she ever given you a reason to think she would have someone else?"

"No, because I believe her when she says I am her one and only." Tori lifted her head and smiled as her heart swelled in her chest. "But if I can make a suggestion, it would be this…If all I did was gripe at her, accuse her and make her feel miserable in our relationship, it would be wrong for me _not _to expect her to leave me for a man that would treat her better."

Jade stopped in her step, her eyes grew and the color in her skin began to fade. Beck looked up to Ian, glaring vehemently while the others kept their silence.

"At the same time, my girl does give me the affection and attention that makes a relationship work." Ian walked behind Beck and placed his hand firmly on the back of the chair while turning his gaze down to the man. "She doesn't ignore me and act as though my opinion matters little to her, nor do I."

"My advice for the two of you is to keep trying to work out the kinks in your relationship. Don't avoid the problem but also be civil not just with each other but to your friends…" Ian raised his hand, then dropped it down to Beck's shoulder. Beck turned his head and sneered at the hand. "Even if one of your friends is somebody your lover might have made the mistake of hurting you with."

Tori watched Ian's hand, swallowing her nervousness as it compressed. He pulled it away and Beck's hand flew up to his shoulder. "Now Jade." Ian turned towards Jade and guided his hand over to Tori. "Do you see Tori as a threat, or are you simply angry?"

Jade's eyes darted to the side and she spoke incoherently for a second before dropping her hands and looking at Beck. "I'm still angry. It hurts that Beck would kiss another girl and then put her above me." Beck rolled his eyes and Ian started to nod. "But no, I don't see Tori as a threat. I mean…I'm angry with her because of what she did, and I can't help but to feel like Beck wants to be with her more than he does me-"

"And that hurts. I know it does." Tori leaned to the side, raising her hand up over her eyes. She took a deep breath and slowly shook her head. "It might be better to talk it out with your lover than to stew on that anger, however. Don't you think?"

"I…it's more than just that." Jade brought her hands before her waist and laced her fingers together. Her shoulders fell and her eyes dropped to the ground. The tone in her voice grew soft, then something new flickered in that tone that Tori hadn't heard before.

Tori dropped her hand to the table and raised an eyebrow at Jade, watching closely the girl's actions and movements. "Tori isn't the first girl Beck's looked at, she's just the first that gave him the time of day." Ian nodded and moved his hand down to the back of the empty chair, leaning into it as support. "He doesn't let me talk things out either, just tells me I'm being jealous or stupid or something."

"He needs to be more sensitive." The comment was directed at Beck, as far as Tori could tell. One of the things she loved about him was how subtle he could make a statement, and then he was always great at listening to somebody. That said, it was easy for someone to spill their heart to him, but this was where the issue lay.

Tori's lip twitched when she saw the color return to Jade's cheeks. Her eyes narrowed as the faintest smile appeared on the woman's face. "You get it," Jade said. "I mean, you understand. You um, you wouldn't hurt your girlfriend like that."

"No, I honestly wouldn't. I can't respect a man that would."

"You care about her opinion. Your girlfriend's. If someone took an interest in you and it made your girlfriend uncomfortable, what would you do?"

"Tell that person I'm not interested in anything more than a friendship, and of course if she doesn't want us spending time with that person, I would respect her wishes." Jade nodded once more and swept a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"So, your girlfriend is friends with the guy that you say kissed her or something. You're okay with that?" Tori's eyes flickered onto Ian for a second before darting back to Jade's softening posture. This was getting too personal for comfort, and she wasn't fond of the sudden change in Jade's demeanor.

Ian glanced at her and took a slow, deep breath. "That's hard to say. I know she wanted to make new friends, and I believe her when she says she's not going to cheat with that guy, so I am okay with it. I can't say that I'm completely comfortable, but I trust her."

"She's lucky to have a guy like you then." Ian paused, his eyes froze into Tori's and his lips fell apart. Tori carefully set her cards face down on the table and straightened her back in the chair. Her eyelids fell halfway and her lips fell into a thin line across her face. "I'm sure men like you are hard to come by, she's fortunate to have swept you up."

"Yes well, I'm sure Beck can be that guy too, he's just got a few kinks to work through." Ian pulled at his shirt collar as Tori's eyes hovered over to him. "I have somewhere to be."

"Well, you could join our poker game if you have time…at least someone could keep the tension from getting worse."

"No, I don't think that would happen actually. I do need to go." Tori raised her eyebrows and folded her hands into her lap. Ian started past Jade, who put a hand to his shoulder and drew Tori's eyes in an instant.

"I insist. We've been fighting for nearly the last hour. We could use a calm presence at the table." Ian cleared his throat and pushed Jade's hand away. Beck popped his jaw and adjusted himself in his seat while studying the pair.

Tori remained silent, all to make sure Jade didn't feel the arrows pointed at her via her icy glare. "Jade," Beck began, "Will you sit back down at this table and let the man leave."

"It's always like this," Jade growled, "He just orders me around and treats all the other women better than he treats me. Would you do that to your girlfriend?" Tori's lip twitched upwards and Ian shrugged.

"No, but I have a feeling she's not happy right now."

"Yes," Tori said with a cold but nonchalant tone. "You should leave now and check up on your girlfriend later." Tori snapped her fingers and pointed to Jade. "And you can sit down with the rest of us now, right next to _your boyfriend_, and play a game of poker. _Please_." Jade raised an eyebrow and Ian made his way out the front door.

Jade sat down without a further word and Robbie grabbed all of the cards to reshuffle them. Beck turned away from Jade, so she looked towards the door. All the while, Tori studied her, watching as Jade's shoulders fell and her lips pursed.

"You do have a boyfriend," Cat said while taking her seat beside Jade. "Even if he seems a little ignorant towards you, and I see that look in your eyes…don't even think about it, he's taken too."

"Oh get real." Jade scoffed and grabbed the cards being dealt to her. "It isn't like I would entertain cheating on Beck, and it isn't like I would try to make a move on that guy anyway. I just think it's nice that there is a guy like that out there, and his girlfriend?" Jade's voice softened and the faint smile returned to her lips. "Is one lucky bitch." A smug smirk grew on Tori's face and she flipped her hair over her shoulder.

She then cleaned her throat and pulled her cards up from the table. "Yeah." Cat took a deep breath and shook her head. "Just um, Jade? I don't think his girlfriend would care if you wouldn't legitimately act on that, she might care more about you having a crush on her guy."

"Don't be silly, I just respect the man." Jade looked to Beck, who was busy studying his cards. "It's been a long time since anyone let me just talk. His girlfriend has nothing to worry about."

"Right. You have nothing to worry about with Beck and Tori, but you can't stop glaring at her like she's a threat. You think his girlfriend wouldn't do the same?"

"She's not here, it's not like she saw our interaction and like I said, I'm not going to just leave Beck and try to hook up with some guy that's already taken."

"Sure you won't," Tori said while raising her cards up. They covered her mouth, concealing her grinding teeth. "Now stop talking about it and let's play the game."

"Besides." Tori's slanted eyes peered over the top of her cards, glaring as Jade studied hers. "I've met his girlfriend, and if I know her, if you so much as thought about crossing her to take her man she's likely to do much worse than anything you've ever done to me." Jade's eyebrows rose and Tori shrugged. "Always the quiet and sweet ones that are the most lethal when their territory is threatened, that's all I can say about that…"

* * *

So, heavy tension. Well, what are your thoughts on the chapter? Ian had a few good points, do you agree? As for Jade, it's been a long time for her that anyone's let her open up and talk about her issues, so that's where you see the miniature crush. She may never act on such a thing, but it seems pretty clear for Tori that those tables have turned a bit. Ian's smart to get out of there, making sure it's clear he's not interested in furthering that conversation before his girlfriend has him killed.


	7. A Tense Argument

Closing the Gap

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Part of this is the fuller scene described in the letter sent to Trina in chapter 9 of Metamorphosis.

* * *

Chapter 7 (A Tense Argument)

The following day Tori gathered her friends around for another game of poker, still feeling like this was the best way to help mend whatever it was keeping them separated. "It's nice to get together without fighting," she heard Robbie mutter, "Especially after yesterday."

"Everything's calm, so let's keep it that way." Tori smiled as she dealt the cards. Even her parents were home; David and Holly were cuddling up on the couch and watching some romantic comedy that she suggested to them.

Jade glanced at her with a curious look and crinkled her nose. "Are you okay though, Tori? Yesterday you seemed a little upset."

"I'm fine." Tori was upset about Jade's attraction to her boyfriend at first, but as she stewed on it she realized the girl was truly no threat to her and she actually was flattered to think Jade found Ian attractive. "I got a letter from Trina, by the way."

Her friends started to mutter, but Cat instantly perked up. "What did she say?" Her first letter wasn't all that great, so Tori was hesitant to say much. Trina was complaining about having made the mistake of wearing a dress on the first day. Evidently it caused an uproar with the campers, some people made fun of her and called her such names as 'Fashionista'.

"She said the campsite looks like a castle and wanted to go up to the top walkway, but was afraid of the height." Cat's mouth formed an oval and the others focused on their cards, no one dared to say a thing. "She also ran into Mr. Sikowitz's nephew, Jason."

"Oh…" The redhead's eyes dropped to her cards and her shoulders fell. "That's nice. I hope they're getting along." From the tone of Trina's letter, it did sound like they got into an argument of some sorts. Or at the very least, Trina did something to embarrass herself in front of him, but she didn't go into it. "What's Jason like, anyway?"

"Trina says he's in charge of the counselors there at camp. The head director is someone named Frank Wyatt." Tori's eyes drifted to her parents and she saw her father turning his gaze towards the group. "Oh um, she did talk about you guys."

Trina didn't really talk much about them, but more about their thoughts of her.

_Who am I? I don't even know. I've been on my own for so long, trying to do what you do and to get involved with your friends despite they don't want me around. Mom and Dad are too busy to notice, everyone's too busy to care or pay attention, so why the hell do I care so much?_

Tori's stomach churned as she thought about her sister's rushed and angry words. She knew Trina's handwriting well, and had been able to tell the girl's emotions through her penmanship. Her anger was frantic and rushed, with less attention paid to neatness. Certain letters would come as though the girl were trying to keep up with handwritten notes during a professor's fast and impassioned lecture.

'_Catscratch_', Tori called the angry style of writing. It broke her heart that Trina's first letter home was in this style.

_How do you do it? I encouraged you not to give up on Hollywood Arts and it didn't take long for you to become a superstar. Why did it come so easily? Why is it all you have to do is bat your eyelashes and everyone suddenly falls to their knees for you? Why!_

_ Your friends say I'm a nobody. I'm a nobody because I can't act, I can't sing, so it falls that I must be talented. Evidently, singing and acting are the only way to gain any opportunity, so who am I if I'm not that? Nobody, Tori, I'm nobody. I don't want to be nobody, I want to be somebody. I want to mean something to someone, anyone! Why is it so hard? Why can't I find anyone that cares for me? Maybe I should give up…give up on men, give up on trying to be somebody…maybe I am destined to be a 'nobody'._

"She wasn't doing well, her first day of camp." In only a few short days, Tori hoped her sister had fared better. The letter brought her to tears, and she dreaded to hand it over to her parents when they wanted to read it. To her amazement, Holly's face had become wet with tears and David fell deathly quiet.

"Why am I not surprised?" Beck asked while tossing a poker chip in. Tori shrugged and Cat looked slowly towards beck. Jade clicked her tongue and shook her head. "Well anyway, Robbie's right. It's nice to get together. We haven't really hung out much besides yesterday."

"Not easy when you're being glared at," Andre whispered while pointing to David. David and Holly had been giving the group the third degree, as much as Tori hated to admit, but there was nothing she could do about it. Her father already was weary of him, and Holly didn't have much of an opinion.

There was more of a reason for her mother's disapproval of them than anything. As it turns out, the hospital she works at has cameras, so it didn't take long to see Jade taking blood from the nurse's station the day Tori became gravely ill after donating blood.

Subsequently, that nurse had been fired for continuing to draw blood after the first pack 'disappeared'.

"I appreciate Mr. Vega looking into my birth father for me, by the way." Beck flashed a smile and Jade started to sigh. He looked at his girlfriend with concern, raising his eyebrow. "You know, I still think you could be just a little more supportive."

Jade picked up her cards and rolled her eyes. "I just don't feel like it's a good idea." Tori sided with Jade on this, but she didn't voice that opinion. This wasn't an issue she wanted to get in the middle of. "You don't know what your birth father is like. You don't know what kind of man he was, who he was-all you know is he was a man that was already in a relationship with someone and had a kid already."

"Yeah, but can you imagine what it would be like to finally meet him? To finally meet my sibling?"

"What if your sibling doesn't even know about you? What if they don't _want_ to know you?"

"It's still an opportunity that I want, Jade. I'm not going to just give up now."

Trina picked up her ante and shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "You know something?" She looked towards her father, hoping to change the subject before Beck and Jade got caught up in another argument. "It's good to see Dad home for a change." She saw her father smile, his eyes returned to the television and his arm tightened around his wife's shoulders.

"I agree," Jade said with what Tori presumed to be a hint of sarcasm. "I was starting to think he didn't care about you guys." Tori threw her chip in the center of the table and bounced her eyebrows.

"He does care." Frown lines formed around the corners of her lips. "He was just distancing himself. He's trying now." Jade nodded and Cat started to smile. "He knows Trina thinks he doesn't care, so he's trying to work on that." Her voice dropped to a murmur and her eyes darted to the side. "It's bad enough she thinks she's a nobody and that no one gives a shit about her…"

Jade leaned forward, squinting her eyes and crinkling the skin around her nose. "What was that about Trina?"

"Nothing."

"She thinks no one cares? She's right. She is a nobody." Tori's heart stopped and Cat's eyes darted over to Jade. The girl leaned back, continuing to speak nonchalantly as though there wasn't anything wrong with what she was saying. "I mean look around here even, things are quieter now that she's not here."

In the corner of her eyes, she saw David bring his left ankle up to his right knee. His smile faded and his left hand was tightening on his wife's shoulder. Holly's eyes slid over to the group and her hand rose to cover David's.

Tori noticed Andre and Robbie shifting nervously in their seats. They raised their cards up closer to their faces. Beck put an arm around Jade's shoulders and smiled calmly as Jade asked Tori to show the flop.

With her back turned to the parents, Jade couldn't see the cold glare David was giving her. The man's nostrils were flaring and his eyes were tense.

"Jade," Tori warned, "Please don't-"

"What? I'm not saying anything that isn't true." She didn't want Jade insulting Trina in front of her parents. Hell, she was tired of her friends insulting her family at all, but right now was a worse time for it. "Tori. Dear. Your sister's crazy. She's a crazy, spoiled brat that tries too hard to get attention-"

"Shut up!" Cat shouted above Jade. Tori flinched and looked at the redhead's fired, sharp gaze. The hiss that came from the girl's lips caused Jade to flinch and turn her wide eyes over to the girl. "You need to stop it. You need to stop insulting Trina right now."

"Why? I'm not insulting anyone, I'm just saying the truth."

"No you're not, you're insulting Tori's sister in front of her and in front of her mom and dad, and that's not fair." Cat's face was turning red and her eyebrows were sliding together. This was something she'd not seen in the girl, and it was amazing but concerning at the same time.

"Tori talks shit about Trina all the time, Cat." Tori sank in her seat and started to turn her head. David was glaring fully at her now, no longer at Jade. Cat started to rise, her hands dropped to the table and her voice rose.

"So what? Tori's her sister, she has a right to complain about Trina. You don't. None of you do."

"Like I said. It isn't complaining if it's _true_."

Andre lowered his cards with a heavy sigh and tossed a poker chip in, raising the bet. "You know, she is right." Tori's jaw dropped and she shot Andre a powerful glare. "Trina probably could be checked up, just to make sure she's not, you know…clinically insane or something." Jade chuckled and Tori sank deeper into her seat.

She heard a loud thud and looked to see David's left foot slamming into the ground and his arm pulling away from Holly. He stood up from the couch and focused his glare on Andre and Jade. "Victoria Marie Vega," David said with a slow and deep tone that sent shivers down her spine. "Is this true that you complain to them about your sister? I would expect you to have more respect than that, and now I see how they are so apt to disrespect your family."

Jade twisted around as Andre, Robbie and Beck all tensed. David approached with his fists clenched and his arms swaying at his sides. "I've often wondered how you can allow your friends to talk about your family like this. Katrina is your sister, and you are to treat her like one. She is not a random stranger for you to gossip about with your friends, she is your _sister_."

She bowed her head, knowing full well that he was right. "I know, Daddy. I'm sorry." He was from Spain, and his mother from Latin America, so both cultures valued family and respect in high regard. The same was said for Holly; whose parents hailed from Italy and Ireland.

"Mr. Vega, relax," Jade said with a hopeful smile. Fear flashed before Tori's eyes and she looked up to her seething father. His chest puffed out and his sharp eyes fell onto Jade as though he were fixing to lash out at her. "It's not gossiping. Gossip consists of lies, so it isn't gossip if it's true, right?"

"Excuse me?"

Jade's eyebrows rose. Tori wanted to put tape over this girl's mouth and bolt her lips shut, it seemed like every word that came out of her mouth made the situation worse whether she intended so or not.

"I only meant that-" David's face was redder than a spicy pepper, and his body was trembling with great force. He raised his hand, pointing at Jade and interrupting her in a voice that echoed off the walls.

"You have no right to disrespect either one of my children. You do not come into _my_ home and disrespect _my_ family. I have put up with this nonsense long enough, kept quiet long enough, but no more!" He slashed his hand through the air and sneered at the group.

"What do you mean you put up with it?" Jade stood up, quickly becoming defensive. "You're hardly ever around, I'm surprised your family _hasn't_ left you yet." Tori dropped her cards and buried her head into her hands.

This was not how she wanted the day to go.

"Excuse me?" David took a step forward, growling as he approached the table. "What gives you the right to come into my house and judge me, my wife, or my children?"

Beck gnashed his teeth and jumped up from the table, pulling his girlfriend back and leaning towards David. "Don't you talk to her like that," Beck shouted. Tori's head started to pound and her stomach twisted as the shouting match grew in ferocity.

"Get the hell out of my house," David shouted while throwing his finger to the door. "Get the hell out of my house and stay the hell away from my children, do I make myself clear?"

"Guys, stop it," Cat screamed. The girl's eyes were now wet with tears and her face moist from the streams running down her cheeks. "I tried telling you to stop attacking the Vega's, this is going too far. That's their _dad_, you have no business yelling at their _dad._"

Tori looked up to Andre and Robbie. The two men were quiet, thankfully, and Robbie was mouthing an apology to her. Eventually, Andre stood up, much to her dismay and spoke in defense of Beck and Jade.

"He has no business yelling at them when they're actually _right_, Cat. The man's never around." Andre slapped his hand towards David, ignoring the fact that the man was huffing violently and looked ready to duke it out with the next person that spoke out against him. "Besides, he shouldn't be yelling at a teenage girl in the first place."

Cat threw her hands into her hair and cried out in frustration. "Oh my god Andre, she was just insulting his family to his face. Can't you see that? If you can't see that, you've got problems."

Andre crossed his arms and raised his eyebrow. "You're one to talk. I mean you're just as mental as everyone else."

"Okay I've had enough of this," Tori whispered. She threw her cards down and stood up, screaming at the top of her lungs until everyone silenced. "I was trying to bring everyone together for a civil, peaceful game of poker." Her chest heaved and her eyes bore a wild look that caused expressions of terror to come over her friends. "Evidently that isn't happening."

She stormed to the door and yanked it open, then pointed outside. "Get out." The two words fell from her lips with a deep rumbling. "I've had it up to here with the yelling, the fighting, the insults-and Cat's right, you shouldn't be yelling at my dad. He's right too, you shouldn't be talking shit about my sister! Get out."

Jade moved forward, her expression apologetic and her voice started to waver. "Tori, I didn't mean to-I was just talking-"

"Out of your ass. You were talking out of your ass and not actually thinking about the consequences." Now she would have to deal with damage control, and that wasn't going to be an easy thing to do. She knew she could smooth things over with her father, he wasn't going to worry too much about her friends being there, but it might be better that they stay out of his sight for a while. "I will see you all in class tomorrow. Now please leave before I get angrier than I already am."

"Sorry. I'm really sorry."

"Now!" Her voice bellowed out and her startled friends bolted for the door. Even Cat, who had defended her family didn't stick around to find out what would happen if they didn't leave.

She slammed the door shut and looked at her father. Her nostrils flared and she waved her hand through the air while moving towards the stairs. "I can't deal with this right now." Holly turned around and frowned.

"It might be best for all of us to take some time-outs. Get some rest, sweetie."

It took her some time to relax and get rid of her headache, during that time she took a shower and a ten minute nap. She also read over her sister's letter once more and took a few minutes to sum up a response for her, something that she could say to try and make Trina feel better.

_"Trina,"_ she wrote with tears glistening in her eyes. _"Things have been quiet for the most part, and I don't like it. Dad's been moping around, Mom's bored. This is the first time one of us has been out of the house, you know."_

She went on to describe in brief detail the fight that broke out among her friends and the tension that had been going on, then moved on from that.

_"I'm sorry things got so bad for you."_ She was pressing her pen hard into the paper in attempt to keep her trembling fingers from messing up her writing. Her tears fell from her face, landing in splashes on her desk. _"I don't know what to say besides, you're my sister and I will always love you. I will talk less about you to my friends from now on, I realize that was a mistake. Those things you said in your last letter? I don't know how to make you feel better-I want to, because I love you. I feel the same way about a lot of things, and not many people really get that."_

She wanted to talk about Ian, but Trina didn't know what was going on there. She spoke about how she felt left out because of her dad's absence, and how that made her turn to attention seeking tactics such as the concerts. She never meant for it to be something that would make her a 'star', but something that would bring a little attention from people like her father, yet that failed.

_"Ian-"_ She stopped and scratched out his name. A shuddering breath fell from her lips and she dropped her shoulders. _"I wanted that attention and I forgot to focus on what was important to me, and look the men in your life you were complaining about? It's hard, I know it's hard."_

She didn't want to remember them herself. Ross; she hated Ross. She hated the bloodcurdling scream that came from Trina's room, she hated seeing her father fly up and beat that man to a bloodied pulp in front of his daughters.

Marcus and Mitchell fared no better, but no worse either. Hell, before she dated Ian, Tori was with a guy named Danny. Danny seemed like a good guy at first, but then he cheated on her. At the same time, Ian was there to cheer her up.

_"After what happened with Danny, I didn't think there was any point in relationships either. I…You know, it's easy to forget that you've been crapped on too. Whether the possessive jerk, the people that stood you up or even the guy that tried to-you know-you've been through a lot but you should never give up. You'll find somebody that cares for you, I know you will."_

She added a small amount of advice for Trina, hoping the girl would see it as a comfort if nothing else. Then continued, hoping to console her and help her see she was more than just a 'nobody'. _"You overdo it when you try to sing and you try to act. You're not being yourself, and I know you're not. That doesn't mean you're a nobody, it just means you're not being true to who you are. Who are you? You're not an actor, you're not a singer. You're my sister, you're Katrina Vega…You don't have to be something you're not, but you can be whatever you want to be. What do you want from your life? What's in your heart? Do you want to be an actress or is your passion singing? Or…or is that something you just want to be involved in because it gives you something you feel you have in common with the people you want to like you?"_

Much of what she was saying was something that Ian told her before. It was true, and she did need to take her own advice. More importantly, she needed her sister to know she wasn't alone and she was loved.

As she folded the letter and pushed it carefully into an envelope, her eyes drifted to the window and she thought about the fight that broke out earlier. "Tomorrow," she sighed, "I need to do damage control with my friends." She wasn't going to enjoy it, but she didn't want them to feel like she wanted them out of her life. That couldn't be further than the truth when she was simply angry and nothing more.

"I hope everyone can just calm the hell down by tomorrow."

* * *

Well, what do you think of everything? I don't think Jade meant any harm, she thought she was right, the same with Beck and with Andre. At the same time, I hope David's anger is understood and Tori's anger is mostly out of frustration. Her letter at the end should find Trina well, perhaps. Maybe her sister will take the advice? Perhaps Tori can take her own advice and start paying more attention to what's important in her life.


	8. Fractured

Closing the Gap

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N

* * *

Chapter 8 (Fractured)

"Go talk to them," Ian said calmly while sitting at a mostly empty table with Tori. She asked him to visit her during lunch and the pair were inside the school's cafeteria and were sitting in a back corner next to a window that overlooked the outside patio tables, along with her friends' table.

While she didn't want him skipping out of his own school to come to her, he did so out of support and said it felt as though she needed him there. She didn't want to talk to her friends as she was still mad at them.

She felt his hand cup hers and a soothing pulse ran through her arm. "I thought you wanted to fix things with them? How can you do that if you don't want to talk to them?"

Tori popped a piece of chicken into her mouth and chewed slowly while glaring out the window. Her friends were seated around their usual table, and looked quiet. Cat was staring at the empty seat with somber eyes while Andre and Robbie talked with one another.

Beck was hunched over his plate of food and focusing on the spoon moving between the tray and his lips. At the same time, Jade had a book open in front of her and her eyes were moving along the pages with intense focus as though a simple novel were a textbook she needed for class.

"They don't need me. They don't even want me."

"Now Tori…You know that isn't true."

She turned her head, lowering her voice and sliding her eyelids down halfway. "You're defending them." Ian's eyebrows rose and he shook his head.

"No." His arm curled around her shoulders and his lip tucked into a smile. "I'm thinking about you. They're your friends, you care about them and I know you don't want to lose that friendship otherwise you wouldn't be trying so damn hard to keep them from falling apart. You always feel a need to fix things, even if you shouldn't, but there's a reason you are that way and that's because you _care."_

"I guess."

"And I love that about you." Her lips slid into a smile and she dropped her head to his shoulder.

Her head rolled so her face and nose buried into his shirt, letting it grow wet from the moisture in her eyes. "I don't know what to say to them, Ian. You weren't there last night, you didn't hear the things they said."

"Were they wrong? What are you more upset about, that they said something about your family that you didn't like or how they said it?" She lifted her head and pursed her lips for a moment. Her right eyebrow rose as she studied the calm, stoic expression on his face.

"They said she was a nobody. She said no one cared about her because she tries so hard to get attention. They-" She stopped and took a deep breath, then slid her fingers into the side of her hair. "They're wrong about who Trina is because they don't know the real Trina; but they're right that she tries too hard to get attention from people she wants to like her."

"So if they saw, or knew who Trina was inside…they might not have the wrong idea about her?" She saw what Ian was doing, and what he was saying. Now was the time to focus on helping them to see that side of Trina. Perhaps if she did that, then they would regard her better and not put her down so much, and maybe then Trina could come home without fear of being torn apart by her friends for thinking she was worthless.

"And they jumped on Dad too. They don't realize that he _is_ trying to do better for us."

What she felt Ian was right about was the fact that she wasn't angry about what her friends said so much as how they said it. "My dad comes from a family with a strict culture regarding familial respect. They stomped all over his family to his face…even if their words were true they disrespected him, disrespected mom, Trina and myself. They could have gone about it a different way, not by yelling or name-calling, and they need to know that they were wrong."

"And that's why you need to talk to them." Ian curled his fingers and raised his hand, gently caressing her cheek and pushing her hair away from her face. Tori's eyes rose towards his and a light shade of pink appeared on her cheeks. "Fix it. They're important to you, I know they are. So if you want to keep them, you can fix this."

"What do I say? How do I say anything?"

"The truth. Talk about your family without complaining, tell them the things they need to see to understand you and to understand your family better so they can respect you and your family. Be assertive, let them know what it was exactly that they did wrong-that it wasn't so much what they said but how they said it."

"I will." She took another deep breath and looked out the window at her friends once more before giving Ian a quick peck on the lips. "Thank you. I love you, sweetie." He smiled back and squeezed her hand.

"I love you too. I do need to get back to school, let me know how it goes?"

"You know it."

Making her way to her friend's table outside, she braced herself. Her stomach tightened and her fingertips slid into the pockets of her pants. Cat was the first to look up, her eyes lit up and her mouth opened with an astonished gasp. "Tori, you decided to come sit with us after all."

"Yeah…" Her shoulders fell and she watched the others raise their eyes to her. No one dared to say a word, and everyone appeared tense even now. "Look. We need to talk. I need you to listen to me, though."

"You're still angry about last night?"

"I've calmed down a little."

Jade raised an eyebrow and closed her book, keeping only her thumb inserted between the pages. "So when you say 'we' need to talk, you mean we're not going to get a chance to speak. Right? Because apparently your anger is more important-" Cat spoke up to silence Jade and Tori thought about lashing out in defense, but held back

"You'll get a chance to talk when I'm done." Tori's hands moved to her waist and her mouth twisted a bit into an annoyed snarl. "First and foremost, the things you people said last night, how you said it. You were wrong to do so in that manner." She looked to the right and pressed her lips together for a moment as she breathed in through her nose.

"Still, you're not wrong in what you said, but not entirely right either. It isn't fair to expect you to respect me or my family when I'm not entirely honest and forthcoming with you." She crossed her arms and leaned to the right. "Still, you need to understand that that's my father back there that you yelled at and directly criticized his family. Even if you were one hundred percent right, you had no business getting into a fight with my dad."

Tori sat down and looked between Andre and Robbie, where in the distance she saw Ian leaning sideways against his car and watching her with a proud glint in his eyes. She leaned her head back slowly and watched as her friends all shifted a bit in their seats and turned their eyes towards the table.

"He did seem really pissed off," Andre said under his breath. "I mean he looked like he was going to explode-I don't think I've ever seen him so angry before."

"He's the adult, and you should have chosen your words more carefully." Tori folded her forearms over on the table and leaned forward, pushing her shoulders up in the process. "My dad-my mom too-but dad comes from a culture and a strict upbringing where family as well as respect is the most important. Where he comes from, a child does not talk down to their elder or authority and a person does not disrespect a man's family. That was your first mistake."

"We didn't mean any harm," Jade replied, "We were just stating what we thought was the truth."

"Well there's a time and a place for everything." Her eyes darted to Jade and tensed, causing the girl to flinch. "You had no business talking to him that way, period. It is also not your place to criticize people you don't know…and you don't know my family. That's my first mistake."

Jade raised an eyebrow and Tori pushed her body upright. A sigh fell from her lips and her forehead folded over in the center. "You're right about my sister wanting attention, but that isn't who she is. You need to know who Trina is before you go judging her. Regardless, you have no business calling her 'worthless', 'nobody', or even 'talentless', understand?"

"But-"

"Understand?" Her voice darkened and she added stress onto the word, making it less of a question. Jade jerked back and slowly nodded.

"Understood."

"And no business saying stuff like that in front of my father, in front of me, my mother, or even Trina. If you're concerned with how she acts, you can approach the subject in a way that is polite and respectful. Maybe asking her or one of us 'why is attention so important to you'? It's my fault for complaining about the negatives to you, I had no business talking about Trina behind her back…and I admit that. That is my fault."

Jade's lips pursed and her eyebrows closed together. "Why?" The girl's voice was almost a whisper, and the others turned their heads to Jade. "Why is she obsessed with getting attention? Why is your dad so avoidant of his own family even though it sounds like that would be frowned on in his culture?"

She appreciated the lack of scorn in Jade's question, so much that she smiled at the girl and watched her muscles loosen. "Thank you. Trina and I started worrying about attention, I guess when our dad started to become distant. He became distant because of work-related fears that he has. Stuff I don't want to go into too much detail on, but he is _trying_ to work on being closer to us. He loves us, and would do anything to ensure we are safe and protected."

"Okay."

"As for Trina? She has talent, even though it isn't where singing and acting is, but if she _wanted_ to learn to sing or act, all she has to do is find the right coach and she can learn whatever she puts her mind to. It's always been like that for her, she _is_ a determined and ambitious woman, even if she doesn't see that anymore…"

Beck ran his hand over his neck and craned his head to the right. "Well she did pretty much kick our asses once or twice. So maybe she knows how to fight." Tori shut her eyes and grinned.

"She is a fighter. She's strong, she's passionate, and she's a fighter both inside and out. She started learning martial arts from a young age…and though Dad won't say it or admit to it, she's his favorite. Always has been because she was always the one that wanted to 'do whatever dad's doing'. That's why she was more hurt when he began to grow distant, and why she fought so hard to be liked by everyone."

"We never meant to push her away or anything," Robbie replied, "It's just that we thought it was weird with how she was acting and all the stuff you said about her."

"I know I've said things about her, about mom and dad, that I shouldn't have. Given the way mom and dad are with their upbringing, I know I'm in a lot of trouble for running my mouth, so to speak. There's a lot of personal details you don't need to know unless they feel like telling you themselves. I had _zero_ right to share all the negative traits with you. Especially without trying to let you know the positive."

"I'll be honest." Jade crossed her arms and her brow furrowed. "Sometimes it seems like we don't really even know _you._ Is that okay to say?" Tori inhaled and thought back to something Ian told her a while back. He'd been right, but how right she didn't know until this moment.

"That's fine." There was still so much she was afraid of, but she valued their friendship and didn't want to lose it, so she needed to tell them. "I mean, I can't tell you everything at once, just…"

An idea struck her and she snapped her fingers and grinned from ear to ear. "If you want to get to know me, and I mean really get to know me you should make an effort _but_, I at least know a way to get you to understand a little more about my family and where we're coming from."

Today would be a bad idea to invite them back to her house, but given the idea she had in mind, she felt she could do the job at school. Of course, she'd need Sikowitz's approval to use the theater room and projector; which meant he'd see what she wanted to show them.

"What do you have in mind?"

She would need help from Ian to put together the right material, and then she needed to talk to Sikowitz, but she was confident she could get his help too. "I'll text you, but I'll put something together…" She stood up and dusted off her pants. "If you want to get to know me, or know anything about my family, show up tonight when I text you guys. Okay?"

With that, she started off to the school with Sikowitz's office in mind. It felt better to leave her friends wondering what her idea was rather than tell them and have them immediately decide they didn't want to deal with it.

Still, the main issue she seemed to have and was beginning to understand why there was a disconnect between her and the group, was that she'd spent more time unloading all of her problems on them and less time actually being friends with them. She didn't know how to change that other than to start over.

* * *

Thoughts?


	9. The Reality

Closing the Gap

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N

* * *

Chapter 9 (The Reality)

Tori waited expectantly in the theatre. It was six-thirty and Sikowitz had received permission to use the theatre room from school officials. "They'll be here soon." She looked up to the projection booth where Ian was waiting with the computer. He was gazing at her with a serene expression.

Sikowitz sat in the front row, his right leg crossed over his left and his right hand was raised as a perch for his head. He studied the watch on his wrist and raised his bushy eyebrows. "We have a little over an hour," Sikowitz replied, "Then I must get home. I need to respond to my nephew's letter and give my sister a call."

"How is your nephew doing, by the way?"

"He's fine." Sikowitz raised his shoulders and curled his lips into a smile. "He works incredibly hard, but I think he might be lightening up a little bit." Sikowitz lifted his head and dropped his forearm to the armrest. He tells me about this young lady that caught his eye recently. I'm happy, it has been some time since he displayed an interest in somebody, or at the very least let himself be attracted to someone. I hope he pursues this."

Tori adjusted the microphone on the podium and looked back at the large screen lowering behind her. "Maybe he will." She wasn't too interested in the romantic notions of her teacher's nephew, but it was good to hear that the guy was lightening up.

Sikowitz chuckled and scratched his beard. "He has been through much, but then, we all have." The instructor cleared his throat and uncrossed his legs. "So tell me again what this presentation is for?"

"I thought this was the best way to start over with my friends, and to let them know a little bit about my family and where I stand." Sikowitz pulled his fingertips together in front of his chest and flashed a smile.

"I am sure it will be good. I hope you receive the response you wish."

"Yeah, if they decide to show up." She left it open for her friends to decide if they really wanted to start over and get to know her and her family. If they didn't show up, she would know they weren't interested.

Part of her felt like she was setting herself up for failure, like she was about to have to take a fall she didn't want to take.

When she saw the door to the theater slide open, her heart stopped and relief swept over her. Cat was the first to enter, with Robbie close behind. "Sorry if we're late," Cat said while making her way to the chair beside Sikowitz. "My brother was intent on having me help him with something."

Robbie sat down beside her and raised his hands up. "My parents wouldn't let me go without eating dinner-your mom and dad aren't here, Tori?"

"No," she answered curtly. David was still highly agitated and Holly was busy trying to keep his mind off the group. They knew what Tori was doing and they approved, but they did not want to be in the same room with her friends. "They said they hope this will help you guys to be more respectful towards them."

The door swung open and Tori glanced to see Andre marching in. "Would have been here sooner but my grandma didn't believe I was coming to school." He plopped down beside Robbie and crossed his arms. "Got a headache, but I'm here." Tori smiled at him and looked towards the door.

Her heart was beating again, albeit slowly, and her lungs were shriveling as she continued to hold her breath. She started to sweat from the worry that Jade and Beck weren't going to show. This presentation was mostly for them since she had a feeling that Cat, Robbie and even Andre would understand her family a little easier than Beck and Jade.

"I…had hoped that Jade and Beck might decide to show up."

"They're coming," Andre replied. "They're kind of arguing."

"Again? Seriously?"

"Well Beck said something that Jade took out of context, so they pulled over." Andre's shoulders rose and his eyes shut. "Jade was driving and Beck was texting me. He said he wouldn't miss your presentation for the world and was looking forward to it. A couple minutes later I got a text from him saying Jade pulled the car over and was yelling at him for suggesting that he liked you more than a friend or something."

"Those two…" She looked to the projection booth at Ian. He was busy on the computer, setting up the presentation, but there was no doubt in her mind he was listening.

The door flew open and she could hear the couple bickering still. Beck had the keys in his hand, a sign that he'd taken over the vehicle at some point. "You're taking it way out of context, Jade. I'm only saying that I'm eager to see what she's got for us."

"You're _always_ happy whenever there's something that involves her!" Jade spun around and slammed her foot on the ground. "I'm over this apparent obsession you have with her."

"It isn't an obsession. Jade, now isn't the time."

"There's never a time. Anytime I try to say something, you shut me up."

"Because your accusations make no sense!" Jade threw her hands up and stormed over to the front row with a frustrated growl. Beck followed her, but sat on the opposite side of their friends.

"Well." Sikowitz spread his hands apart and looked up at Tori. "Now that we're all here, I presume you would like to begin?"

"Yes." She moved up to the podium and smiled at her friends. "I put together a presentation for you guys because I wanted you to get a sense of who I am and who my family is. That way you know us a little better, you know where I come from and stuff. So maybe we can just start over.

Jade opened her mouth and yawned, then waved her hand in front of it. "Sorry Vega, I'm just tired. Ignore that." Tori frowned and crossed her arms. "So you put a presentation together? Why not just tell what your family's like."

"I thought this would be the best way, so you have something to see instead of just my words."

"Is it going to be entertaining, then? Don't get me wrong, but I don't see-" A beam of light shone out from the ceiling projector and an image lit up the screen behind Tori. The sound echoed above Jade's question and caused Tori to spin around suddenly.

The video showed her in a familiar classroom setting, at Sherwood High, just a little more than fourteen years old. She had on a lab coat, black gloves and a pair of goggles. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail and in her hand she was holding a small vial of clear liquid.

Her heart skipped a beat and her eyes widened. "He started it off with this?" She whispered under her breath.

_"Quit distracting me," Young Tori said as the man behind the camera chuckled. "I have to be very careful, you cannot distract me."_

_ "I just want to make sure you know what you're doing," Ian's voice said from behind the camera._ Tori twisted her head over her shoulder and saw her friends staring suspiciously at the video.

"What is this?" Beck asked. "Who's the guy behind the camera and where are you? What are…what is this?"

_"Of course I know what I'm doing." Tori poured the vial into the flask and her lips spread into a wide grin. "Here we go. The perfect mixture, with just the right chemical compound." Her face contorted as the liquid began bubbling. "Wait, that's not right." Smoke poured out of the liquid and surrounded her and the camera._

_ When it cleared, she was waving her hand in front of her face. "What the hell? That wasn't supposed to happen." Ian snickered as Tori began shuffling through her notes. "I did everything right. I don't understand."_

_ "Honey, do you remember you got me a couple days ago?" A small vial of blue liquid appeared before the camera and Tori threw her soot covered face up to the video. Her jaw fell open and her eyes widened. "The prank war continues, love. I can't believe you fell for it, the compound wasn't even the same color."_

_ "Oh you ass, you did it on purpose!"_

Tori's friends started laughing uproariously. She folded her arms over her stomach and smiled at the video. She shook her head as she began to tear up, recalling the fond memory.

_"What if that had been a toxic compound?"_

_ "You know I wouldn't do that, I know my chemicals just as well as you." Tori swept away the soot on her goggles and then removed them, making it look as though she had a mask around her eyes. The camera set down and Ian's lower body walked in front of the screen. "It's just a compound to create a little smoke, no need to fret over it." He put his arms around her waist and she placed her hands to his chest._

_ "Oh you are so bad." Her lips twisted into a slick smile and her eyes fell halfway. "We're in a classroom right now."_

_ "Working on an experiment after school, the teacher won't be back for another hour at least, and the laboratory shower is open." Tori gasped and pulled her hand up over her mouth. _

_ "Oh really?" Her smirk increased and her eyebrows rose. "Are you suggesting what I believe you are suggesting?"_

_ "Why yes, I do believe I am." _

_ "Oh my mother is going to kill you. Then she's going to bring you back to life so my sister can beat you up, then my father's going to kill you again." _

_ "Well, you're worth taking a beating for and dying twice." _

_ "Then quick, before Mrs. Moore comes back."_

She rolled her eyes and looked up to the projection booth, smirking as Ian pumped his fist into the air. She did say she wanted to get their attention, and now each of them were staring slack-jawed at the video.

"Who _is _that guy?" Beck asked with widening eyes. Jade leaned forward and turned her head to him.

"Your competition, probably."

"Oh for fuck sake, enough Jade. That's not what I mean and you know it." Tori whistled and the couple looked back to the video. The video faded away and words were appearing in its place.

_Victoria Vega. Animal Lover, Chemist, and loyal friend._

"So now that I've caught your attention…"

"Ours and others apparently," Jade said with a smirk. "You looked younger there, I wonder if that's an old love. Why am I not surprised the guys flocked to you then as well? Still, I didn't know you were into science."

"It's actually my passion." Tori slid her hands along the edges of the podium and leaned forward, speaking into the microphone. "I've always wanted to be a veterinarian-and I still do."

Jade jerked her head back and Cat raised her hand. "What about singing?" Inquired the redhead. "I thought you loved singing and acting." It was a clever question, considering the girl already knew that answer when the others didn't.

"Those are hobbies. I love to sing and act, don't get me wrong, but they're not truly something I want to do with my life. Unlike my sister, who always wanted to be _just like Dad."_

A series of clips played, grabbing the group's attention. The first was of a very young girl playing by the pool with her father, mimicking everything he did.

_"Honey, don't let her get too close to the deep end!" Holly cried out as five year old Trina marched behind her father as he playfully marched down the side of the pool. _

_ "I be okay momma," Trina said, "Imma fish just like papa." _

_ "Yes sweetheart, but fish can breathe underwater, little children can't. Neither can your father." David spun towards the camera and pulled his hand to his chest, letting out a mock gasp. Trina mimicked the pose and sound._

The group started laughing at the childlike antics. "Oh my god that's adorable," Jade cackled. The girl cleared her throat when the others stopped to stare at her. "Tell no one that just happened."

_"Can we play now?" Asked seven year old Trina as she pulled on her father's arm away from the couch's arm. "Ple-ase with cherries on top let's play now. Tori keeps throwing her dolls at me-e-e, an' if I don't throw a ball with you, Imma throw something back at her."_

_ David laughed and scooped her up into his arms. "Of course kiddo, as long as you've eaten dinner." _

_ Trina pat her belly and made a humming noise. "Yum, yum, it's all in my tummy ." There was a bark off screen followed by Holly calling out about seeing vegetables in the dog's dish. "Oops."_

_ David laughed and jumped up from the couch. "Let's grab the ball and get out before your mother comes after us." Trina looked at the camera with wide eyes and spoke quickly._

_ "Gran-pappy cover for us?" A rich laugh broke out from behind the camera, and the video shook as David carried his daughter out to the back patio where the baseball gear was. _

"I'll be honest." Andre held his stomach, laughing as the others turned to him. "I would have given anything to see that little kid pick up a doll and throw it right back."

"True." Tori wiped away the mist in her eyes and looked up as a new video came about. This time of nine year old Trina and seven year old Tori jumping around on the rocks outside.

_"Be careful," Holly cried out behind the camera. "You don't want to hurt yourselves." David reassured her the girls would be fine, but Holly didn't sound convinced. "I swear David, the minute you signed our little girl up for karate lessons…"_

_ "You worry too much sweetheart, she can handle it."_

_ "You're a big strong man, she's just a little girl, there's a difference between what you can and can't handle. Trina always wants to follow her daddy, but she doesn't understand that there are some things she can't do that you do." Trina hopped from one rock to a large stone a few feet away and nearly stumbled. Holly gasped out and the camera jumped just as Trina stabilized herself and went into a karate pose._

_ "Come on Tori," Trina called out. "You can do it." Tori readied herself for the jump, but Holly was quick to rush and scoop the girl up just as she was about to make the jump. _

Tori breathed in quickly and turned back to her friends. Having seen the clips already, the nostalgia wasn't as prevalent as it had been earlier. "These are just a few moments you can see how close my family is."

"Yeah really close," Robbie replied, "It's amazing." He tilted his head and pointed to the on screen image of Trina wearing her _gi_. "So your dad signed your sister up for karate at an early age?"

"Yeah, at first he wanted to teach her self-defense techniques. He's always been protective of us, and he still is." Behind her the clip of her mom and dad at their wedding started to play. It was on a cruise ship, and the couple were dancing in the center as a Spanish love song played.

"Mom and Dad met on a boat ride to the States. She had been visiting Spain, and he was coming to America to study in the university here." She heard her friends' awed sighs and started to smile. "Very much like how my mom's parents met as immigrants to America in the 1950s."

The clip changed to the couple laughing together in their new home, with a small puppy laying at their feet. They were much younger, and to the surprise of her friends, they seemed to be happier and full of love.

"Both sets of my grandparents come from cultures where they believe you must bring children into _stable_ homes, so mom and dad waited for several years after marriage to have kids. They built their first home in Oregon from the ground up…"

"Oregon?" Cat raised an eyebrow and pursed her lips. "You're not from California?" Tori smiled and shook her head.

"Nope. Trina was born in Portland, and so was I. However, we moved to California when I was a baby…still it wasn't LA, it was Sacramento. We came to LA when we were much older, around the time Dad got a promotion and had to transfer to a department here."

The next clip to play was of Tori and Trina in their early teenage years. David had taken them to a shooting range and was teaching them to shoot a gun. Tori smirked as looks of horror shot across her friends' faces.

"There were a couple moments that caused Dad to really go all out with his protectiveness. He has never been abusive, but anybody that's ever threatened his family has seen the extent of his anger…"

As she turned, several mugshots appeared on screen. Her stomach twisted and her lips stretched into a sneer as the picture of Daniel, Marcus, Mitchell and Ross slid into view. Each man had a different level of bruising on their faces, of which Ross had the worse.

"Some men we dated that wronged us in some horrible ways. Dad made sure they stayed away. I won't go into detail on those, so…sorry." The images clicked off and she turned back to her friends. They were staring in shock, and even Sikowitz looked disgusted. "Dad has only ever struck someone that threated us, that's it. He's not typically a violent man."

"Just overprotective," Beck remarked quietly. "He really does look to care about you guys. Maybe we just misjudged him?" Tori shut her eyes and raised her shoulders.

"Maybe, but it's my fault for only talking about the negative. They've showed a lot of leniency as well…" She turned her eyes to Jade and breathed in carefully. "I mean Jade, you remember when you snuck into the hospital room and started taking the blood I was donating?"

Jade's eyes widened and her jaw fell open. "Wait, you knew that was me?"

"Mom works at the hospital, and a full investigation was opened, so yes we knew it was you. The security cameras caught you." Jade bowed her head and dropped her shoulders. Tori scratched at her forehead and let out a long sigh. "That nurse lost her license because of the tort, she should have stopped when the first bag went missing and didn't. Because you managed to slip past security and a few other staff members that should have been watching, they lost their jobs as well."

"God, I didn't-"

"Really that's not your fault. They should have been watching, they should have done their job right and they didn't. My point is, I begged mom and dad not to file a suit against you. To leave it alone…and they did. So you should definitely be grateful to them for that, because you threatened my life and they would have taken you to court without question."

Jade moved her hand to her chest and slowly shook her head. "I can't-I don't know what to say."

"You don't need to say anything. I just want you to understand that my family consists of caring and compassionate people, but where we come from, respect is of high importance. I didn't give you a chance to know my family well enough to know why or even who they were…but now that you do, I expect you to respect them. They're the only family I have, and I don't want to lose them."

"Lose? You're not losing them. They're always going to be your family."

"Yeah but at this rate we won't be together." Tori bowed her head and took a deep breath. "Trina wants to leave us, says none of us care about her anymore and she can't stand it anymore." She pulled her hair back over her shoulder and kept her eyes shut as she struggled to process her thoughts. "Mom and Dad are trying to keep their marriage afloat-"

"They seem happy," Beck pointed to the videos. "They were even cuddling up on the couch last night before everything went to hell."

"Yes but that's because they're trying to fix wherever they went wrong." She waved her hand in the air and cleared her throat. "That's beside the point. The main thing is, I wanted to show you a little of my family and to show you a little of who I am, who we are-to start clean."

"Well we're willing to do that." Jade glanced at Beck, likely thrilled to make the statement before him. "I mean look, I can be vindictive from time to time, I know I'm still mad at you for kissing my boyfriend, and maybe I should just get over it, but considering how he acts like you're more important-it's really hard to get over."

Jade's eyes flicked to the video screen and the right corner of her mouth rose up. "Though that starter video kind of eases that a little bit." Tori chuckled nervously and turned her eyes towards the projection booth. "I'm wondering if your family ever knew about that guy?"

"Oh they knew about him, they just don't know the relationship."

"Did you love him? Because the way you sounded in that video…" She wanted more than anything to tell them, but she was still scared. Up in the booth, Ian crossed his arms and stared down with his lips in a flat line.

"Very much." She swept her hair over her ear and looked back to the video. "I have a question for you. Do you still think Trina's a talentless, worthless nobody?"

"I don't know, but seeing some of these shots in your presentation, I might be interested in getting to know her along with your family."

"She's at a martial arts camp right now, but if you're serious about giving my family a chance to know them, I'm sure she'd be okay with talking to you guys when you get back."

"Just, let us see the real her. Okay? Tell her that. We still don't know her, and maybe not even you…"

"Well, you'll learn. Maybe starting with this last scene?" Tori stepped off the stage and turned to face the screen as a new clip appeared.

_"I can't believe this," laughed the sixteen year old Katrina. She was standing in front of Tori, teasing her as the girl wiped away plant debris from her clothes. "You can stand animal blood, you can stand toxic chemicals, but you can't stand a little pollen?"_

_ "Fungi. I can't stand fungi." Tori groaned as she pushed the plant aside. "Mushroom spores and the like. That kind of stuff bores me, I'm more of a marine biologist kind of girl." _

_ "Tell that to the insect nest in your room."_

_ "It's a butterfly aquarium." _

_ Trina walked past her, leaning back and rolling her eyes towards her while smirking. "Insect nest," she said in a sing-song tone. Tori smirked back and put her hands to her hips._

_ "Tease all you want. You know I'll find something to tease you about. I always do." Tori lifted her hands and started to approach her sister. Trina raised an eyebrow and tilted her head. "Like the great martial artist sister of mine is…" She wiggled her fingers and Trina's eyebrows rose._

_ "Don't. You. Dare."_

_ "Ticklish." She began tickling just beneath Trina's ribs, causing her sister to double over and laugh._

_ "Oh my god," she fell to the couch, wiggling and laughing as Tori continued tickling her. _

_ "Hah, still ticklish after all these years, sis." Trina's eyes started to water and her face turned red as she shouted at the cameraman._

_ "Turn off the camera! Stop filming!"_

_ "Don't you dare turn that off," Tori ordered, "You turn that off, and you will pay." _

_ "No fair threatening the camera man, and you're covered in plant slime!" _

Tori's friends were laughing uproariously and didn't seem to question who the person filming was. It was Ian. She loved the scene they filmed, but the event after the camera was upsetting to remember.

It was moments before a would-be first date with some guy from Trina's school, but the man cancelled at the last minute.

The next scene was one shot years earlier, when they still knew Trina's former best friend-Lindsay Peters. Tori begged Trina to go on one of their 'adventures', and they started filming part of it.

_"Why would you talk my sister into climbing up there?" Asked the twelve year old Trina Vega. She was staring at Tori, who was sitting atop a rock wall. "How did she get up there?"_

_ "I'm not sure, but she doesn't want to come down." Tori was currently holding onto a rock at the top and shivering as she peered down._

_ "Wanted to be brave like Tri-Tri and Lindy!" Tori called out. "I don't know how to get down! Help me!"_

_ "Ugh? Brave? Lindsay, I can't stand heights!" _

_ "Come on," Lindsay said, "It's easy. Let's get up there and get your sister." Lindsay set the camera down and rushed to the rock wall. Trina groaned and joined the climb. Tori watched anxiously as Trina carefully reached the top._

_ Trina flipped her hair and grit her teeth. "Not going to look down." She glanced over to see Lindsay pulling herself to the top. "Seriously!" Lindsay stood up and put her hands to her hips._

_ "Come on Trina, pull yourself up. Your little sister wants to be just like her brave big sis." Trina rolled her eyes and pulled herself up. The minute she made it to the top, Tori latched onto her._

_ "Tri-Tri. I love you." Tori buried her face into Trina's shirt and hummed. Trina curled an arm around her little sister and looked off into the distance as Lindsay sat down beside her._

_ "You know, it's really not a bad view up here." Trina pat her knee and started to smile. "We should have brought the camera with us…" Her eyes dropped and the skin around her nose wrinkled. "Wait, how are we getting down? How do you always manage to get me in situations like this, Lindsay?" _

"Wow, she's not afraid to get into a little dirt," Robbie said with surprise. "And evidently doesn't mind breaking a nail."

"Oh she keeps her nails cut short," Tori said with a shrug. Most of the nails she put on when trying to act all fancy were of course, fake. The reality was much better, and that's what she wanted them to see. "You wanted to see my sister as she really is? My family? There you go, and that's only scratching the surface."

* * *

So what is going through your mind as you observe all of this? What are your thoughts on the video clips and so forth?


	10. Emergency Call

Closing the Gap

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N

* * *

Chapter 10 (The Emergency Call)

A few days passed without any trouble. Her friends decided to stay away from the Vega parents for a little bit before actively going to apologize for the outburst some time before, but to their understanding David would still be watching them like a hawk.

He was still willing to help Beck find his birth father, but he hadn't made any progress. Tori checked the mail every day to see if she got a new letter from Trina, and hoped it would bear some good news rather than anything terrible.

When it finally came, she nearly leapt for joy when she ran into the house. David and Holly were on the couch, cuddling up in front of the fireplace when she burst in with Trina's sealed letter. "She sent one!" She wanted to read it first and then give it to them, but she was too excited to do that.

David smiled and Holly circled her hand in the air. "Open it," Holly insisted. She ripped open the top of the envelope and walked to the recliner. With a huff, she fell into the chair and pulled the crisp page from the envelope.

The first thing that she noticed was the fluid and small handwriting. The curves in the letters were long wavy. "She's happy about something," Tori whispered while unfolding the bottom half of the letter. She scanned the letter with her eyes, absorbing the words before she read them, just in case there was something she wanted to talk to David and Holly about. They would read it anyway, but if there was something she could ease for them, she wanted to have the chance.

_"I'm still not sure how to answer what you said in the last letter. I mean, you're right, I guess. I'm no actress, I'm probably not a singer either. As a matter of fact, I think I'm still struggling to figure myself out. I am making friends, though."_

She put her hand to her chest and took an small breath of air, the sight of Trina making friends at the camp despite her first letter brought a tear to her eye. Her parents watched her carefully, both understanding that she preferred reading first.

_"Do you remember Lindsay Peters?"_ Trina's jaw fell open and her right hand flew over her mouth as excitement rushed through her veins. Lindsay moved away a long time ago, and Trina was devastated. Tori missed the girl too, but she didn't know much about her aside from the constant trips they went on that their mothers didn't want them doing. _"Well she found me. Can you believe it? My old best friend, I thought I'd never see her again, but she's here and she's my roommate. Haha, some things must be fate, I think."_

_ "By the way, I um I met Jason. I think I told you that in the last letter. I met Jason and well-" _ She stopped at the handwritten dash. To her it was indicative of something more. Her heart skipped a beat and her eyebrows carefully rose as a spark of intrigue pulsed from her heart. She had to know what that pause in Trina's letter meant.

_"He's a good man, a really good man. We had a few conversations since being here and tonight? Well, it's funny, I challenged him to outdo me at doing a set of pushups, and I won!"_ She stifled a laugh and tried to imagine Trina outdoing this man at pushups. She didn't know Jason well enough to judge, but part of her wondered if he let her win. _"He tired out and I kept going for another ten, so as per our deal…he's going to train with me and help me practice outside our classes. I'm actually excited about it. He's, like I said, really nice."_

Tori held her breath and swept a finger across the bottom of her eyelids. Now that Trina seemed to be doing much better, she felt like dancing. OF course, she couldn't tell whether this sign was of something good or something that might be bad.

_"His ex-girlfriend might be a problem. She kind of reminds me a little bit of Jade, mean and obsessive. The thing is, I think she's worse than Jade could ever be-if you can believe it."_

_ "I also feel the need to remind you, there's nothing going on between Jason and myself. He's just some guy, who yes, happens to be extremely attractive…but I can't. I can't let myself open to that."_ Tori dropped her head and sighed in frustration. She knew Trina was stubborn at times, but this sounded like outright denial.

Whoever Jason was, she wanted to find out and she wanted to know if he might possibly be good for Trina. Trina clearly liked him, and Tori couldn't let him dash he hopes again.

_"Also," _Trina continued, _"Do mom and dad read these? I suspect they do, but it doesn't really matter. I guess I thought they might be concerned, but Jason is only my group leader, and someone I've been spending a little time with this last week. A lot of time, actually, but again there's nothing between the two of us."_

She sensed the lie, but there wasn't much she could do about it. "Trina seems happier, and she's making friends." She handed the letter over to her parents and watched as they read it like a new book hot off the shelves.

"Who's this guy?" David pulled the letter towards him and scratched his chin. "She met a guy that's attractive. I don't know this boy, I need to know this boy." Holly put her arm around his shoulders and leaned sideways, turning her head out as she read the letter.

"It is such a relief seeing this. I'm glad my baby girl's making friends." The woman pat David's chest and smirked. "And if she meets an attractive man, it'll be fine. She's eighteen now, there's nothing wrong with her meeting a boy. Let her enjoy her summer."

"Of course there's something wrong with it, she's still my little girl and I'm not there to protect her from all those hormonal boys that would take advantage of a young beautiful woman all by herself in the world."

"You worry too much. Some days, you are just like _my_ father was. Overprotective and worrying himself to death." Holly sat upright and pulled the letter with her, sighing contently as she glossed over the words. "It really does seem quieter without her here, but not in the way those kids were discussing before. It feels…"

"Different?" Tori asked. Holly looked to her with a furrowed brow and breathed in slowly.

"Yes, like my two girls are growing up. I miss hearing her voice."

"So do I." She suspected all of them did. The letters would have to do, since they didn't have cell phone service out at the camp. Or if they did, cell phones weren't allowed.

There was much more to the letter than the initial first paragraphs, but they were just where Trina was going into more detail of the events and going-ons of camp. She'd read it in depth later that night and start thinking of a response.

"I'm off to school." She hopped up from the recliner and hugged her parents. "Are you guys going to do anything today?"

"We were thinking about it, sweetie." Holly's gaze darted towards her husband and her lips spread into a grin. "Your father and I are going out for lunch."

"Seaside restaurant," David replied. "Have you heard of _Shipp's _just off the beach?" Her eyebrows shot up and a vivid memory played in her mind. Shipp's was an elegant restaurant that was inside a large boat docked at the bay overlooking the Pacific ocean. Ian took her there on one of their first dates.

"They have great seafood, I've heard. It sounds like a great place for you two."

David swayed to his right and hooked his leg on top of his knee, smirking as his eyes traveled to his wife's and held her gaze. "I thought it would be the perfect spot to rekindle things, out on the open ocean, just the two of us."

"I hope you have a great date." She hugged her parents and kissed them on the cheek before heading outside.

When she arrived to school, she was relieved to get there early for once. She dashed towards Sikowitz's classroom so she could get prepared, and hopefully, surprise the others by getting there before them.

She pushed the door open a crack and stopped when she heard Mr. Sikowitz talking to somebody. Her eyes moved to the window and she saw him sitting at his desk with his heels propped up on the corner edge and his back reclined. He held a phone in his hand, and was looking towards the window.

"Your mother is bored, Jason." Tori paused and her jaw fell open. Her teacher had a direct line with Jason, which told her they could get a direct line to Trina.

"I know you said the phone line is just for emergencies but I wanted to hear from you. You seem different in the letters you're sending, not as pent up as you were. I'm glad, what's changed?"

Sikowitz dropped his feet to the floor and started laughing. "Oh you know I'm not going to simply not pry into your personal life dear boy. Besides, what 'emergency' could there possibly be?"

Tori opened the door further and carefully slipped her foot into the room. The last thing she wanted to do was startle her teacher or disturb his phone call.

The man leaned over his desk, bending his right arm on the top and slanting his eyes. "Jason, you worry too much. None of us have seen your father in years, and the last thing I heard from the man, he didn't want to see you either. Also, can't those other people contact the director of the camp if they need something? You worry too much about your work, you need to loosen up dear boy."

Sikowitz threw his head back, laughing loudly. "Oh I'm not going to stop calling you that. Or I'll make a deal with you, I will stop calling you that if you tell me more about this girl you've met at camp."

The instructor jerked back and pulled his phone from his ear. His lips fell into a frown and a sigh escaped him. "He hung up." The door closed behind Tori, causing her to freeze on the spot. Her muscles tightened and she watched Mr. Sikowitz turn around. The man smiled at her and placed his phone to the desk. "Miss Vega, you're early today. I'm impressed."

"Well you know…" She trailed off and approached his desk, keeping her eyes on his phone. "I was getting tired of being the one to perform in class."

Sikowitz reclined in the chair and pulled his hands up behind his head. "You've always had control over whether or not you perform. Simply don't come in late and I don't make you go up in front of the class."

"Right. You're right." She raised her hand and pointed to the phone. "So you were talking to your nephew?" The man's gaze slid to the phone and his shoulders rose.

"Yes."

"He's at the same camp my sister's at."

"Okay. And?"

Tori wrapped her hand around the backpack strap and pushed her left hand into her pocket. "I really want to talk to her, maybe it's possible-"

"You want me to give you the number to Jason's office?" Sikowitz looked at his phone and shook his head. "I can't do that. He tells me that phone is for emergency and business calls only. He would be angry if I used it to allow people to contact their relatives at camp."

"Please?" She pushed her hands forward on the desk and looked into his eyes. "Just this once? I only want to call my sister and see how she's doing."

"Emergency and business calls only. He's annoyed as it is that I'm abusing the line. I can't just give his number out."

As she considered the nature of the first letter she received, it could be suggested that the phone call would be an emergency call. If anything, she needed to reach her sister and make sure she didn't feel like her family wanted to desert her.

"It _is_ an emergency. Trina's first letter sounded really bad and we need to reach her." Her face twisted with worry as she'd come to learn how to embellish and make things appear worse than they really were. "I need to get ahold of her, I'm really worried about her."

Sikowitz lowered his hands and frowned. "Can't you call the camp's director? Mr. Wyatt is the only other person with a line, but that's for parents and families that need to get in touch with the camp."

"But Jason might be able to reach Trina faster. She may have mentioned him in her letter." Sikowitz raised an eyebrow and looked towards his phone. He pressed his lips together and his eyebrows crashed together.

"Alright Miss Vega, after school lets out, but I need to be the one to make the phone call."

"Of course." She put her hand to her chest and leaned back while blowing out a heavy breath of air. "Thank you so much."

Part of the emergency bit was true, she needed to get Trina to hear David out. Trina was going to leave them when she came back to camp, she was going to leave and never look back, and Tori couldn't let that happen.

Later that evening, she convinced her parents to come to school and joined them in Mr. Sikowitz's classroom to make the phone call. The minute he did, she grabbed the phone and flashed a grin when Jason's voice answered.

"Hello? You've reached the head counselor and Director's Assistant, Jason Tyler. How can I help you?"

"Hi," Tori began, "Sorry, I had Mr. Sikowitz call you. I'm Tori Vega, my family has been trying to reach my sister. Trina." Sikowitz sank back in his seat and rolled his eyes. "We need to talk to her, it's an emergency."

"An emergency? Is everything alright?" There was a note of concern in his voice. This was great news, because it meant he wasn't heartless.

"Well, I mean, one of her letters was a little bit concerning. We're concerned she may be in trouble."

"She seems to be doing well enough. She's adjusting to camp life and has been getting along with most of the campers. I will run down and get her, I am sure she and her roommate are currently in their room."

"Please. It's important we talk to her."

"Okay." She pulled the phone from her ear and mouthed at her parents that Jason was on his way to retrieve Trina.

"Is this the boy she's been flirting with?" David asked under his breath. Holly rolled her eyes and smiled while Mr. Sikowitz had become preoccupied with some papers that needed to be graded. "I need to do an extensive background check."

"No you don't, dad."

"I run a background checks on all the people you girls associate with this. It's a cop-dad thing."

A few minutes passed and then Trina was on the line. Tori's heart jumped to her throat when she heard her sister's voice. "Hi Trina." Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled over. "I had to twist Mr. Sikowitz's arm to call you, but I got him to. I've really wanted to hear your voice…I miss you."

Sikowitz turned his eyes up from the papers and slanted them at her. A husky sigh fell from his mouth and he returned to his work.

She was in trouble now, he likely was fully aware this wasn't as much of an emergency as she made it out to be.

"I missed you too," Trina replied. "How is everyone? Your last letter was…" Trina paused for a few seconds and cleared her throat. "Cryptic."

"Stressful." Tori walked towards the window, speaking softly so as not to tip off anything she'd been struggling with to everyone. She was going to hand the line over to her father soon, and she didn't want him worrying about her. She heard Trina mutter something about the work Jason was doing. "What was that?"

"Nothing, it's just Jason has a very comfortable chair. Warm too." Trina paused again and started grumbling. "God Lindsay's right, I am attracted to this man." Tori's heart skipped and she laughed. "Nope, nothing's going to come of it."

"Aw why not? If you like the guy."

"Hard to explain, but not important right now. What's going on with your friends?"

"They've been fighting. Constantly." She ran her hand over her forehead and groaned. "I've been trying to fix it. Even Ian's been trying to help." She stopped abruptly and held her breath; Trina didn't realize how close she and Ian were and didn't know they were still in regular contact. "Um, mom and dad are kind of doing better. Slowly. Dad's coming around, but that also means he's been getting more protective than ever."

"Tori? You think they're going to stay together?"

"I…" She looked at her parents solemnly and watched as they talked amongst themselves. When she saw their hands connecting between them, it brought a smile to her face. "I hope so."

She remembered Dmitri; the agent had only come around one time recently, since she showed her presentation to her friends. Still, it was one too many in her book. "There's also this stupid Russian talent coach trying to convince me to go to Russia on some contract, but I don't want to. He's been hounding me-I don't want to give up my family and friends for some small chance to sing in a foreign country."

"Have you told him you're not interested?"

"He won't listen." She leaned over the windowsill, placing her arm onto it and gazing at the trees outside swaying in the wind. A sullen breath fell from her lips and her eyes closed over. "God Ian's right. I've become so preoccupied with needing to be the center of everything, being famous and in the limelight that it's costing me everything I care about. My friends, my family."

She straightened her back and furrowed her brow as the branches of the trees were swept back in a violent gust of wind. "How do I stop it, Trina?"

"Stop what?"

"From losing everything? How do I keep you from leaving home to go to some college in-god knows where?" Her heart began pacing as a rush of panic and fury sank into her veins. "How do I stop mom and dad from splitting up? How do I keep my friends from tearing each other a part and ripping everything away at the seams? Trina I-I don't know what to do."

"I don't know."

"Everything changed when I came to Hollywood Arts."

"Things were tense before that."

"Yeah, but not like they are now." She pushed her hand through her hair and groaned softly. "Things are worse now. It's scary because I don't know what's going to happen. That damn Russian agent keeps wanting to put me up on these stages, getting me to sing-singing's a hobby, but the rush I get when I hear the roar of applause? God I love that, it's like a drug, I don't want it but I keep needing to feel the high it gives me. Some days I'm just tempted to say 'yes let me go to Russia'."

"Is that what you want?"

"No! No it's not." She exhaled and turned her back to the wall. She ran her hand down her arm and studied the others in the room with a frown. "I…That would be giving up. If I lost you, if I lost mom and dad? If my friends split up? If I lost Ia…I'd only do that contract if I lost everything."

She shook her head and closed her eyes. "It's not important right now." None of this was. All that mattered in this moment was that she wanted to talk to Trina. "What about you and Jason? How are things at camp? Is this Jenny girl still causing problems?"

"Jason and I are just friends."

Her eyes opened partially and her lip twisted into a smirk. "I don't believe you. Dad doesn't think so either." Trina started to laugh and Tori's arm fell to the side. "What's so funny? Dad's having a conniption here. He doesn't know this boy, can't talk to this boy. Meanwhile, _I_ think it's great you've found someone, or maybe, I _hope_ you can find someone to trust with your heart. You know?"

"Tori, you're trying to tell me Dad actually gives a shit about whether or not there is a boy in my life? One, do you forget who it is you're talking to?" She rolled her eyes and watched her father look over to her. "Then two, do you forget who it is you're talking _about_?

"Trina, dad loves you." She groaned out in exasperation and threw her hand up into the air. "Come on you've always been his favorite. You know that. You're his little girl. I never get the attention from him that he gave you, and why? I didn't like the same things he did, I didn't want to sit and watch Sunday football, _I _didn't grow up attached to him the way you did."

Trina wasn't going to hear this from her, so she had to give the phone to the person that could probably somehow reason with her. She pulled the device from her ear and walked over to David, smiling as she extended it to him.

"Your turn to talk to her," she whispered. His eyebrows tilted up in the middle and he slowly wrapped his hand around the phone. "She needs to hear from you."

He rose up from the desk that he was seated in and walked towards the wall that Tori had been standing at. He leaned back against it, hooked right ankle over his left and slid his left arm across his stomach, using it as a perch for his right elbow.

"Trina?" His voice was soft and his eyes were full of concern and eagerness.

Tori took his seat and looked at her mother with a smile. "Thank you for this," Holly whispered to her. Tori nodded and looked towards her father, a nervous tremble had taken the man, and his eyes were quivering anxiously. "I think your father needed to hear from her."

"She needs to hear from him too, mom." It would honestly destroy the two to lose the other from their lives without trying to reconnect, at least that was her opinion on the matter. "We probably should thank Mr. Sikowitz for letting this happen, though…"

* * *

Tell me your thoughts and feelings of the events of the chapter.


	11. A Patient Man

Closing the Gap

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N

* * *

Chapter 11 (A Patient Man)

Tori glared at a round device in her hand, focusing partially on it while also focusing on the fact that her sister was developing feelings for the nephew of her teacher. While it wasn't that big of a deal for her, and she didn't care as long as Trina was happy, she thought it was an interesting connection.

As for the device in her hand, it was a pregnancy test with negative markings. She didn't think she was pregnant, especially not since her mother made sure she took the birth control pill religiously each day and at the same time. It was just a matter of all the stress getting her worked up lately, but that was only as far as she knew.

There was a knock at her window and she hastily tossed the test into the trash bin, then ran to open the window for Ian. "You surprised me," she said while helping her boyfriend into the room. Ian stood up and brushed his pants with his hands.

"I thought it would be good to drop in on you." He curled his lips up and turned his eyes to the trashcan. When she turned around, the sight of the test box on the end table struck fear into her heart. "You're taking a pregnancy test? Is there something you want to tell me?"

"No." She dropped her hands and shrugged. "It's negative anyway. I've been feeling sick, yes, but no I'm not pregnant." He stepped up behind her and gently brushed her upper arms with his hands. She leaned her head back, setting it on his shoulder and sighing as he kissed her hairline.

"You've been stressed out a lot the past few weeks. I hoped things would get better after that presentation you showed your friends."

"Things _have_ gotten better." Not by much, but her friends were at least being less provocative and judgmental towards her relatives. "There's still tension, but it isn't as bad. The tension just comes from the constant bickering between Beck and Jade."

"They still haven't worked out their issues?" He let go of her and walked over to the bed. "You haven't told them about me yet, I guess?" His hand sailed through his hair and his eyes closed.

Her stomach knotted up and she hurried over to his side. "It isn't that I don't want to, I'm just…I need to know they're going to accept you."

"Why does it matter if they accept me or not? Let them hate me for all I care." Ian moved his hand towards the window and his eyes slanted. "Cat knows about me and she seems perfectly accepting."

"She's different than the others." Ian crossed his arms and his lips tightened. Tori moved her hand to his forearm and leaned up, looking into his eyes. "Ian, they weren't accepting of Trina, of my parents, not until recently and I still don't know how accepting they are. I couldn't bear to sit and listen to them judge the man I love. Not after all that."

He unfolded his arms and sighed heavily. "I know, Tori. It's just…" He rubbed the back of his neck and shook his head. "I can understand keeping a secret the last two and a half years from your family because of the whole cultural issue they have regarding sex, but your friends?"

"My parents might be more lenient about that now than they were when we started, I don't know. As for my friends, I guess I see what your point is." She used to not have an issue with understanding if a friend didn't accept somebody, then they had no business being friends. "These people are the only people I've ever made friends with at Hollywood Arts, and I-I don't want to think that I would be by myself there."

"If you have the people who care about you, and you care about, why would you think you'd be alone?" She sat on the edge of the bed and folded her hands into her lap. Her lower lip tucked underneath her teeth as Ian leaned back against the wall beside her bedroom door and looked back with a furrowed brow. "You know you still have friends at Sherwood too, or at least, people there ask me about you."

"I know." She tucked a strand of hair over her ear and looked away. Her features softened and her eyes dipped towards the floor. "I could do better at Sherwood. I did better at Sherwood." Ian's arms folded over his stomach and his eyebrows slowly crept inwards.

"What do you mean?"

"There's a reason Jade, Beck, Andre, Robbie and Cat are my primary friends at HA, Ian. I don't _want_ to make friends with anyone else at that school." Ian sat down beside her and placed a hand to Tori's shoulder. She turned her head to him, letting herself be lost in his gaze. "It's not just them, it's that school and everything about it. Sherwood felt real, I felt real, the people there were-are _real."_

"You're not happy at HA. You've never said anything."

"Why would I? Trina encouraged me to go, even my parents seemed happy for me to get into some talent school. That place changed me, you said it yourself."

"You're still you, you're still the same caring girl and that's what matters."

"Yeah, but I've had to be something I'm not." Her hands rose, then fell to her knees. "It even caused Trina to have to be someone _she's_ not. Then I got all obsessed with a stupid self-image that I never cared about before, and things just…spiraled out of control."

Ian rubbed her back and she leaned into him. Her head started to pound and her hand trembled until he covered it with his. "Just relax. I'm here, okay?" She rubbed his shoulder with her head.

"Sometimes it feels like I'm losing myself, or maybe I just don't know who I am anymore. That presentation we did? Those clips? They made me think-I miss that girl."

"You're still her, Tori."

"And if I'm not? If I lose myself completely?"

"I would never let that happen." She lifted her head. The warmth in his eyes drew her in, comforting her, accepting her. A smile formed at her lips and she carefully moved her arms around his neck. Ian's arms slid around her waist and pulled her close as her forehead fell to his chest.

"Hold me. Hold me and don't let go. Whatever you do…don't let me go. I need you."

Tori paced Ian's living room floor several hours later, her hands were locked behind her back and a nervous sweat was running down the side of her neck. Beneath her, the brown oval rug was crumpling as her feet pulled against it.

"Relax," Ian urged in a soft voice. He sat in the center cushion on the left portion of his desert colored sectional positioned on the back wall.

Tori pushed her hands through the sides of her hair, groaning under her breath. "I can't relax." Her heart was racing and she could nearly hear the blood shooting through her veins. "The last thing I can do is relax."

"It's going to be okay. I promise you."

"What if it's not?" She stopped and spread her hands out to the sides. Ian stood up and started walking towards her. "Ian, what if-" He took her hands and stood inches from her. She held her breath while gazing into his calm, gentle eyes.

"Then they're not worth your time. Nothing is worth all the stress this is causing you."

"How did you get to be so patient?" It was a rhetorical question of course, but his level of patience and calmness always amazed her. Even more, she was amazed by how he could soothe her nerves.

"Years of practice." He smirked and kissed her forehead. Tori leaned up against him and hugged his waist, then swayed gently in his arms. Behind him, hanging above where he'd been sitting was a framed photo of his family: His mother, father, and his two younger siblings.

He had a standard upbringing in a stable family, and that normalcy was good for her. It contrasted her own chaos. Still, she knew he had his moments in the past, growing up. Ian knew what it was like to lose friendships, and he knew how easy it was for someone to lose their temper.

All the wisdom in his eyes had come from his experiences and from the help of his own grandfather. So he was raised to be polite, he was raised to know how to keep his temper in check-how else had he not beaten up every guy that ever looked at his girlfriend-Beck included.

Not to mention, having an eleven year old brother and an eight year old sister, both of them as hyperactive as they were, a person needed to have great patience to deal with them.

The doorbell rang and the couple separated. "I'll get that," Ian said. Tori lowered her hands in front of her waist and hooked her index fingers together. She bit her lip and watched him move to the door.

"How do you know I won't try to run?"

Ian laughed and reached for the doorknob. "Because then you leave me to deal with your friends wondering why you asked them to meet up at my house." He twisted his head and wagged his eyebrows. "And I don't think you want that."

Her hands fell to her hips and she shook her head, chuckling as he opened the door. Cat guided Robbie, Andre, Beck and finally Jade into the house where they started looking around as if entering into a new fascination.

"Wow, this is Ian's home?" Jade started while looking around. The house was spotless; Ian's mother was a neat freak that couldn't stand filth. Thinking on that, Tori instantly asked the group to start removing their shoes so they didn't drag dirt into the home.

They did as asked, much to her gratitude.

Jade glanced at the picture on the wall and her eyebrows rose. "Nice picture of your family, Ian. You look handsome in that." Beck grunted and started for the couch. Despite Beck's disapproval, Ian thanked Jade. Tori still was flattered by Jade's comment, but felt no threat from the girl..

"Why are we here?" Beck asked aloud while plopping down on the sectional. Ian's eyebrow rose and Tori sighed. "I don't understand what we're doing here instead of your place, Tori."

Cat walked up next to her and lowered her voice. "He's got a point, Tori. Why are we at your boyfriend's place instead of yours?"

Ian cleared his throat at Beck, who was sitting between two cushions and causing them to pop out of the couch. "Beck, could you sit _on_ a cushion and not between them? My mother would have a heart attack if anything is out of place. She has enough trouble cleaning up after Brooke and Peter."

"Sorry." Beck adjusted the cushions and sat on the outermost one. "Who are Brooke and Peter?"

"His siblings," Tori answered as the friends moved to the sectional. "I asked you to comer here because I had something I wanted to tell you. It terrifies me, but, it needs to be said…"

Jade took her seat beside Beck and leaned up against him. "It had to be said here? Why? Why is it so bad we can't talk about it at your place?"

"It isn't _bad_." She swallowed her nervousness and turned to Ian. "I just, I asked you to accept my family, I ask that you accept me, and now I need you to accept one more person. He has no interest whatsoever in anything that goes on at Hollywood Arts-"

"With one exception," Ian said casually. A smirk appeared on his face and he looked to Tori with half-lidded eyes. A blush rose to her cheeks and her friends stared on with widening eyes.

"You saw me with someone in that opening clip of my presentation. My lover, my boyfriend whom I love very much and have been dating for nearly three years now." Jade's hand moved up to her chest. Andre groaned and Robbie's eyebrows pushed up on his forehead.

Tori placed her hand in Ian's, squeezing tight as she looked towards her friends. "I know how you guys are about people you perceive as 'talentless'. People who don't act, who don't sing or dance…the only dancing Ian's done is ballroom, and that's when we went to our homecoming dances at Sherwood."

"So," Cat began while glancing sideways at the friends. "What you're afraid of is because your boyfriend doesn't care for acting, singing, or playing an instrument, that we're going to end up criticizing him and making fun of him?"

Jade, Andre and Robbie all turned their heads while Beck simply chuckled. "I had a feeling there was something more to him." Beck stretched his arms over the top of the couch and crossed his legs. "So Ian, is there anything you do?"

Ian draped an arm around Tori's waist and flashed a casual smirk. "I do know how to make the right mixture of chemicals to melt flesh and bone away, Beck. Would you like me to demonstrate?" Beck started to pale, and to Tori's surprise, Jade laughed.

Tori's gaze fell onto the dark haired girl and she waited until Jade's eyes flew open and realization dawned on her. "Wait a minute…" Jade jumped to her feet and stepped forward, pointing at the couple. "Some time ago when you were talking about being in the same boat as me? Your girlfriend that kissed someone else…"

"Yep." Ian's motioned his head towards Tori and Jade cupped her hands over her mouth.

Tori squeezed his hand and shut her eyes. "He's a very patient man, and while I'm at it, a passionate lover."

"A gentleman too." Jade twisted around, looking at her boyfriend. "As many times as you and Beck have been in the same room together. All the looks he's given Tori, and the way he acts? Not once have you attacked the man…"

"That is the reason I love him Jade, Ian's been there for me through everything and even when I've screwed up…he still cares for me."

Jade emitted a nervous chuckle and leaned back slightly. Her right forefinger curled over her chin and her half-lidded eyes moved to Tori. "So you have no desires for my boyfriend?"

"I am one hundred percent, completely tied to Ian. You are in no danger from me…"

Beck raised an eyebrow and pointed to his chest. "Then why did you kiss me? I don't understand."

"Well it wasn't like you stopped her," Ian said with a growl. Tori put her hand to his shoulder and turned fully towards Beck.

"That was my fault, and I'm sorry. I did it because when I joined HA, I was angry over Jade treating me so badly. I kissed you out of spite, and it was wrong, I shouldn't have done it in the first place. I should have known better."

"I won't get into the whole 'you started it' thing," Jade muttered, "But at least it's a weight off my shoulders. Still…" Jade's shoulders fell and her eyes dropped to the floor. "I wish Beck would stop treating you better than he does me."

"I won't lie," Ian sad while removing his gaze from Beck. "If he doesn't, you deserve better." Jade smiled and a tiny hint of redness appeared on her cheeks. The girl gasped and looked at Tori suddenly, covering her blush as much as possible.

"Oh don't cover it up," Tori whispered, "I'm glad you think he's a nice guy. He is, and you deserve someone like him…someone that would treat you with the respect you deserve. Keep that in mind."

"Hey." Beck's eyes narrowed and he snapped his fingers. "What are you telling her over there?"

Tori's eyes darted to the man, then shot back towards Jade. "Even if you have a little crush on Ian, I'm flattered. Just, remember you're with Beck, and if something happens, you know…"

"I'm not going to steal your guy even if I'm not with Beck," Jade replied.

"Good, and I um, I hope you don't try anything out of spite like I did."

"Oh I'm not going to kiss your boyfriend either."

Ian's eyelids dropped halfway and his smirk grew as his eyes moved towards Beck. "I would stop you if you tried that." Beck rolled his eyes and Jade laughed.

With a relieved sigh, Tori moved forward and looked from Jade to the others. "So is everyone alright? I mean, I don't want you to start judging him. He's my boyfriend, and I love him, and right now…" She turned partially and smiled at Ian. "He's the most important to me."

"We won't judge him…"

"One question." Andre raised his hand. His eyebrows flew together and his head tilted. "That day he was walking downstairs and started talking to Jade about Beck and everything? You were upstairs for nearly an hour, and he never came in through the front door-"

"Oh he came in a front door," Cat snickered, "Just not the door you're thinking of." Tori's face burned red as Andre paled and the others gawked. Andre cleared his throat before questioning Cat regarding this knowledge. "Yes, I knew about their relationship, but only after that stage play they did. I figured she was doing it based off something."

"That's impressive," Robbie remarked with a proud glint in his eyes. "Nice catch, Cat." The redhead smiled back at him and quickly bowed her head.

Tori turned to her boyfriend and leaned up, kissing his cheek. She was grateful to finally have this off her chest, and while she was still nervous about whether her friends would start judging him or not, she didn't care now that it was out in the open. They knew her conditions, and she was simply going to have to trust them to respect that.

* * *

She finally told them, and what are your thoughts about everything in this chapter?


	12. The Search for a Brother

Closing the Gap

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N

* * *

Chapter 12 (In Search of a Brother)

"I need your help." Beck marched into Tori's home before she had a chance to invite him in. He'd been rambling on the phone all the way over here, to the point she had to set the phone down and just wait for him to arrive. "Mr. Vega finally came through with the name of my sibling-or a half sibling, I should say."

"Oh?" She wasn't expecting her father to cough up a sibling for Beck, much less find the actual guy. Unless there was something more to it, such as trying to find the sibling because the father was a man of ill repute as she still suspected.

"He said he couldn't share anything about my father, but that I do have a sibling to talk to if I want to know more." Beck approached the couch and ran his hand vigorously through his hair. "I have to talk to this guy."

"Be careful Beck. He may not know you exist, and didn't you say you were the product of an affair? Any sibling you have may not want to talk to you."

"That's what Jade says, but I've come too far to give up now." Beck brought his hands to her shoulders and looked at her with wild eyes. "I have a brother, Tori. Somewhere out there. Mr. Vega says he attends the University of California, and I've got his address."

Tori's eyebrow rose and she pushed his hands away from her shoulders. "My father gave you an address?" He immediately shuffled through his pockets, pulling a slip of paper out. "Why would he give you an address?"

"Look, he lives in this apartment building. One of the finer ones, I think." He showed her the address, it was a mailing address with the apartment number. Her stomach knotted up and her eyes lifted towards the ceiling. "I'm going to go here, see if he's here. Jade won't go with me, Andre's busy and I Robbie's too nerve-wracking right now."

"So you're asking me to go with you?"

"As a friend, for support. I can't do this alone, I'm too anxious."

"If your girlfriend said no, and your best friend is too busy, what makes you think I'm going to help you?" Beck lowered his hands and shrugged.

"Because you're a kind and caring friend, and this means a lot to me? I'm finally learning who my family is." She put her hands to her hips and pulled the right corner of her mouth into her cheek while narrowing her eyes. It was one thing he wanted to learn about his birth family, it was another thing that this half-brother he had may or may not know about him and may not want to talk to the son his father had as a result of an affair. "Please, Tori?"

Within the hour, they were on the campus and parking in the lot of the huge apartment building. "How was I talked into this?" Tori let out a heavy sigh and turned her glare sideways at Beck. "This better be worth it."

"I appreciate this Tori, I really do."

They approached the apartment complex just as a student was leaving. The student let them in without bothering to ask if they lived there; but there was no reason to suspect otherwise. "We're looking for 333…" She studied the numbers beside the doors, each ranging from 100 and so on. "Okay, numbers are ordered by way of floor, I think, so he's on the third floor."

"Awesome."

"Beck, I think-" She turned but just as she looked, she saw Beck already running through the door to the stairway. She rolled her eyes and followed him, but at a slower pace. She had the feeling the person they were looking for wouldn't be home, but she hadn't been given a reference to go on. "What is this guy's name?"

When she met up with Beck, he was walking swiftly through the hall, studying each numbered plaque carefully. "Wait up!" She rolled her eyes and ran after him when he finally found the door and began knocking. "Have you even thought about whether or not this guy might be what you don't expect?"

"I don't care. I have an older brother and that's all that matters to me right now. Imagine what it would be like if you never had Trina in your life and were just meeting her for the first time." Her heart stopped and she felt a shock of numbness drifting through her.

He was right. She couldn't imagine what it would feel like, but she knew she'd give everything to meet the girl. "Okay, so what do you know of this guy?"

"Well I know he's at least a year or two older than your sister, and I know he's not originally from California, but that's it."

The door made a clicking noise and Tori watched Beck's muscles stiffen. He held his breath and his eyes started to grow as the door slid open. To their surprise, a short man with a buzz cut stepped into the doorway. This man was overweight, had a beer in his left hand and a slice of pizza in his right. The stubble on his face had bits sauce within it. The white shirt he wore was covered in stains, and what looked like old vomit.

Beck slouched and a look of disappointment arose in his eyes. "Um hi…I'm Beck, I was looking for the guy that lives in 333-A?" The man set his plate of pizza down on the counter beside him and turned his head.

"That would be my roommate." Tori smiled as the energy returned to Beck's eyes. She didn't know why he bothered to become disappointed when he thought this man was the guy they were looking for, other than the fact that the man appeared sloppy. "Come on in."

They entered the place and looked around. The living area was a mess, with pizza boxes open on the coffee table and trash scattered about. Tori was certain she could smell old rancid vegetables coming from somewhere, and when she looked to the trashcan in the kitchen, she got her answer.

It was overflowing with filth.

When she looked to the door of 333-B, she could see into the room. The bed was covered with various articles of clothing that had also fallen to the floor, there were plates and books strewn about. The stench in the apartment was enough to make her nauseous, to the point she wouldn't mind puking in the very trashcan that was now spilling out.

The roommate called out to a couple maintenance workers in 333-A, raising his beer up. "Yo, I'll lock it up for you." The workers appeared exhausted, and shrugged before they left.

Tori left Beck, who was gawking at the man and moved towards 333-A, where she instantly noted a difference. The bed was neatly put together with black and red bedding. The window overlooking the courtyard had long navy blue curtains hanging over it. There was a desk with an open shelf beneath the drawer on the right, and in that open shelf were a set of textbooks lined up in a row.

"Okay, I can dig this guy." Tori breathed in slowly and analyzed the various posters on the wall. One poster had a series of cars, another was a poster of some MMA champion while another was some motivational crap. There were pictures of scenery on the walls as well. "No pin-up calendars? No half naked swimsuit models? Beck, are you sure this guy is related to you?"

Beck entered the room and narrowed his eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Start looking for Playboy magazines or something. I get the feeling I need to know more about this man."

"He's _my_ half-brother."

The roommate entered in, belching loudly. "Yeah, he's out of town on some trip and won't be back until August. I have a number he gave me for emergencies, if you want it. Just don't tell him what state the apartment's in, he'd kill me if he knew I was letting it get this bad."

Tori's nose crinkled up and she looked to the man with disgust. "Thanks a lot Beck, now I need a shower when I get home." Beck walked towards his half-brother's desk and shrugged.

"Call Ian, I'm sure he'd be happy to help you wash up."

"Very funny." She turned to the roommate, studying him up and down before saying anything. "So August, huh? What's this guy like?" The man shrugged and took a sip of his bottle.

"Watches a lot of action flicks, and when he's here and not studying, he's usually at the gym or something. He has this thing about trying to keep things clean looking."

"Right…" She looked to the pigsty outside and raised her eyebrows. "I'm guessing you wouldn't be lucky enough to have a girlfriend?"

"Nope, unless you're offering?"

"No thanks, I've got a boyfriend…" Beck raised his head up and twisted around partially.

"Geez, was it that easy to say that?" She detected the note of bitterness in his voice, but ignored it She crossed her arms and slanted her eyes at him.

"It is when you're talking to a drunken slob that you hardly know." She glanced back at the roommate, watching him stumble over to the counter. "Besides, this guy's at least 21, since he has a beer in his hand. Even if I was looking, he's way too old…not to mention, so not my type."

Beck leaned backwards to glance out the doorway and scrunched his face. "You're right. Your father would kill him more than he would Ian." Tori rolled her eyes and started to approach then man. "What are you doing?"

"He said he has a number for you to call, so I'm getting you the number so we can get the hell out of here. I'm getting nauseous just standing here."

They got the number and left as soon as they could. Tori didn't pay attention to the phone number and was focused on driving. Beside her, Beck held his cell phone with trembling hands and was staring down at the number on the luminescent screen. "I should hit the call button."

"You should."

"I'm nervous." He raised his head and let his shoulders drop. "God I wish Jade were here." She raised an eyebrow and turned her eyes sideways towards him. "I mean, I know we've been having our problems and all, but come on…I love her."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but why don't you act like it?" He looked back with a startled expression, opening his mouth but closing it in an instant. "Beck, she thinks you've been fawning over me and you haven't exactly denied it."

"Yeah, I know." He rolled his eyes and shook his head. "And if it wasn't for you having a boyfriend, she'd probably think we were off on some kind of date or something. I don't know, she's always had this paranoid mind…it's like she _expects_ me to cheat on her and it's really kind of annoying."

"Have you talked to her about it?"

"No." He pushed his fingers into his hair and winced when his elbow struck the door. "I mean yes, but she won't listen. God, it's like I'll tip the waitress on our date, she accuses me of wanting to leave her. I'll say hi to some girl in passing, she assumes I'm cheating. Then, you remember when we had that video chat over Skype when you were on the plane?"

"Yes. You were dog-sitting."

"Yes, but I said cheerleader and couldn't even mention it was a kid before she came running and was ready to accuse me of cheating on her. She doesn't even trust me, never has."

"So talk to her."

"I don't know how to get through to her." His fingers brushed his forehead and he leaned his shoulder into the side of the car. "Then lately I've been so preoccupied with trying to find my birth father that I just haven't been paying enough attention to her. That's my fault, I know, but I don't even know what to do anymore."

He turned his head and dropped his hand to his lap. "How do you do it? You and Ian?" She slowed the car to a stop at a red light and shrugged. "I kind of caught it that time a few weeks ago when he was talking to Jade about me, that he was pissed with me about something else. It didn't hit until you told us he was your boyfriend. He trusts you…and does he know what you're doing right now?"

"Yes." She texted Ian before they left. He said 'alright' and told her to be safe. "He has no problem, knows I won't cheat on him. I'm honest with him."

"So he trusts you. See? Right there, I don't know how that happens. The _only_ reason Jade wouldn't be pissed off right now, or even forcing us to bring her along is because she knows you have a boyfriend and aren't likely to cheat on Ian."

"Have you tried being honest with her? That's what it's like with Ian. We tell each other almost everything, trust each other with everything." She reclined her head and closed her eyes. "When I stage-kissed you out of spite, I told him about it. He was angry, but he got over it and we moved on together. I told him I was sorry, I was open and honest. I made a mistake, and I wouldn't do it again."

"Yeah." Beck chuckled softly and looked down at his phone. "I wish I had what the two of you did." His thumb swept over the screen of his phone and he raised it to his ear. "I'm making the call. I don't even know what to say, how to start."

"Alright. Good luck."

Beck took a deep breath and stilled himself. The volume was loud enough that Tori heard the phone ringing. A woman answered first, to her surprise. When the voice sounded overly familiar, her brow furrowed and her foot started to lift off the brake pedal.

"Hey is this Jason Tyler's number?"

Her heart crashed to a halt and she snapped her gaze over to Beck, dropping her jaw. His left hand was clenched and shaking in his lap, and his knees were pressed up against each other. His muscles were tense and his eyes clenched shut.

When Jason's voice came over the phone, Beck blurted out his thoughts. "Do you know anything about Hector Tyler?" He froze, and a slow cringe came over him. There was a firm and resounding 'no', followed by a clicking noise. Her heart started to sink as Beck dropped the phone to his lap. "That…wasn't how I wanted to start."

"You were nervous Beck. It's okay, relax and call him again when you're calmer." She couldn't believe her suspicion, and didn't want to believe it. The woman sounded exactly like Trina, and she was fully aware that Trina was spending time with Sikowitz's nephew, Jason, but this had to be wrong. Hell, she couldn't even hear the voices loud enough to determine one hundred percent who was speaking.

"Yeah. I'm not going to give up. I-I need to know, not just about my father but my brother too and my mom." If she was right, those relatives may be much closer than he realized.

* * *

What are your thoughts on everything-other than Jason needs a new roommate? Beck finally reveals a little more depth to what's going on between him and Jade. Do you think they can work through their issues, or are they doomed for failure?


	13. Burdens to Carry

Closing the Gap

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N

* * *

Chapter 13 (Heavy Burdens to Carry)

Tori collected her textbooks from her locker, staring inside with regret at the old chemistry textbook. It hadn't been opened since her arrival at Hollywood Arts, because they didn't have any major science courses. "I wonder if I can petition the university to let me take some science courses."

It wasn't likely since she wasn't a senior yet, but there had to be some way she could get back into the classes she enjoyed without just up and leaving everyone at Hollywood Arts behind to move back to Sherwood. She already abandoned Sherwood for HA, she didn't want to abandon anyone again.

"Tori!" Robbie's voice echoed in her ears, so she stepped away from her locker with a sigh and shut the door. "Tori, I need your help with something." She rolled her eyes and moved her hands to her hips as Robbie ran up to her.

It seemed everyone wanted her help with something as of late. Ever since she let her friends know the truth about Ian and her family, it gave them the message that she was trusting them, and in turn they were trusting her with their problems. She saw that now, and wasn't sure what to make of it.

"What's the problem?"

Robbie stopped in front of her and looked at Rex, who was currently positioned in his hands. She prayed the issue didn't have to do with Rex. "It's less of a problem and more something I want to show you…since school is out, I think now is a good time."

"I was just about to meet up with Ian."

"He can come with us if he wants, this is important to me." The corner of her lip twitched as his words played in her head like the beating of a drum. The last time someone said something was important to them, she wound up walking into filth like she'd never seen. "You wanted us to understand you and your family, well, I'd like for you to know something about me."

"Alright Robbie, what is it you want to show me?"

He took a step back and looked over his shoulder. "Go find Ian and meet me at Riverside Creek in an hour." She raised an eyebrow and slanted her eyes as Robbie turned to walk away.

An hour later she and Ian pulled up to the gates of Riverside Creek. Ian was in the driver's seat looking past her with a disdainful look. "So our after-school date is going to be spent at a cemetery?"

Tori exhaled and dropped her hand to the door handle. "Honestly, I think it's a step up from a slovenly roommate that let his apartment get cluttered with filth and possible mold…" Her stomach churned at the memory and she shook her head. "God, I'm sick just thinking about it."

"Filth versus dead people. I'm not sure which is a step up." He pushed the door open and exited the car. "Trust people with your background and all of a sudden everyone wants you to know their problems."

"That's the way it goes, Ian." They walked to the gate where they met with Robbie, who was still holding Rex as though it were a lifeline. Ian smirked and made a comment regarding the puppet. Tori closed her eyes and ran her fingers across her brow. "Ian. Really."

"Sorry, I'm hungry and I had to cancel the dinner reservation."

"Come with me," Robbie urged before walking off. Ian breathed in sharply and Tori looked away from him, then started walking after Robbie. "You know, my grandfather was a carpenter. He also knew how to craft a lot of things from woodcarving…including Rex here."

"It isn't going to start talking is it?" Tori smacked Ian playfully and he smirked. Robbie shook his head and turned down a cobblestone walkway,

"Rex was a gift to my older brother. Beck looking for his brother got me thinking, it's been some time since I visited." Ian frowned and Tori felt a sinking sensation clawing at her. "'Rex' is named for him as well, my brother."

Ian crossed his arms. "I apologize for making fun." Robbie shrugged and turned his head back.

"It's okay, you didn't know. Most people don't know. Even Beck and Andre aren't really aware; it isn't an easy subject for me." Tori looked beyond him and stopped walking when she saw the large marble mausoleum with the name 'Shapiro' written above its door.

There were flowers surrounding the mausoleum like a moat wrapped around a castle. The door had a wreath upon it. The building itself wasn't small enough to house only one person, it was a family mausoleum.

They followed Robbie inside and Tori felt a sudden chill run down her spine. Against the back wall were three coffins with the feet reaching out to the door. In the middle were two coffins in very much the same way, but on the outside, with an empty space in the center.

Tori threw her hands up over her mouth and felt Ian's arm wrap around her shoulders. Robbie walked to the middle and took a deep breath as he looked at the coffins. "Mom, Dad, Rex, and my grandparents. Dad's parents." Robbie ran his hand along the center coffin against the back wall, and tears welled up in his eyes. "He killed them, all of them.

"Who?"

"My dad. He just…went insane." The image of a young Robbie sitting among his relatives, and terror gripped her like a hand around her throat. "He was an attorney, you know? Worked the hardest he'd ever worked to get where he was."

Tori tried to speak, but she couldn't form the words so Ian spoke up instead. "What happened?" Robbie placed Rex atop his brother's coffin and crossed his arms. His head bowed and the skin around his eyes tensed and cracked.

"He was disbarred. A female client he had came onto him and he turned her away, then refused to offer legal counsel to her." He looked to his right shoulder and swept away some dryer lint. "She accused him of sexual assault and harassment, and as a result, everything he worked for went up in flames."

"I'm so sorry."

"Yeah." Robbie breathed in suddenly and shook his head. "Mom didn't work, they didn't believe in it. This was just after the stock market crashed, so we were bankrupt. We had to move in with Dad's parents, and that was an even worse blow to his pride."

Robbie's nose scrunched and a wrinkle popped up between his eyebrows. He pushed his fingers to his nose, sliding his glasses up. "I was almost eight years old, Rex was thirteen. The gunshots woke me up, I didn't know what they were or what was happening…"

Tori moved forward, extending her arm to Robbie's shoulder. She said nothing, willing him to tell his story. Robbie's chest expanded and he lowered his hand. "Rex came running into my bedroom, he was covered in blood…Being just a kid, I thought it was a joke-I didn't even know it was blood."

His voice broke and trembled as he recollected the memory. "He smeared his blood over me and pushed me into the closet. Told me what was happening, said to keep the puppet grandpa made for him." Robbie looked towards his brother's casket and his brow furrowed.

"He said he loved me and hugged me close. Dad came up behind him and fired two shots, I-I can still feel his body jerking and him pulling me down with him. He whispered for me to keep still, act dead, so I did…I remember looking into his eyes, watching…"

Tori slid her arms around him, hugging him close while Ian came over to rub the man's back. It was too horrible for her to imagine, but she knew Trina might do the same for her if she were in such a situation. Even still, for Robbie to watch his own brother die before his very eyes, it must have been too painful.

"My father sat on my bed and he stared at us for the longest time. I couldn't move. I heard him say he was sorry, before he-" Robbie shook his head and clenched his eyes shut. "I talk about my 'parents', I mean my mother's parents. Do you understand why I carry that puppet around with me? Why everyone makes fun of me for it…"

"It's the last memory you have of your brother," Tori whispered while looking to the puppet, "The last keepsake of your family."

"It's all I have to remember them by." Robbie shook his head and moved towards his brother's casket. "Unfortunately it also reminds me of that day."

"A double edged sword, but I understand. Still, you carry it with you everywhere you go." It wasn't her place now to say whether or not he should carry Rex around. On one hand he carried around the final piece of his family, but on the other hand it was a symbol of that night for him.

What he needed was to find a way to move on from it, to let it stop haunting him. "You know it's part of the reason I became friends with Andre and Beck in the first place." He crossed his arms and turned to her. "Andre lost his father and two older brothers in Louisiana." Her heart sank and she looked to the ground with a heavy sigh.

Robbie brushed his thumb across his nose and let out a chuckling sob. "His mother brought him to California where she made him change his last name to fit her maiden name…this was before she was arrested and charged with their murder."

"Damn…Andre never talked about it?"

"He was too young to remember much. His dad and his brothers died of carbon monoxide poisoning in their sleep. That's what the police records say." He shrugged and looked to the right. "And of course you know about Beck. Born as a result of some married man's affair with another woman. Even his mother's gone, all he has is Mr. Oliver…"

"That must be rough for both of them," Ian remarked carefully. Tori nodded and tried to imagine how Mr. Oliver must feel about raising the son of another man. "It certainly explains why Beck might be living in that RV outside the house."

She raised an eyebrow and turned to Ian. "Beck told us it was because he wanted independence."

"Possible, but you try having your spouse leave you with the child from an affair." Beck's parents had been married at the time of the affair, from what she understood. She didn't know much about it aside from that.

"He's right," Robbie replied, "Beck's mother tried to pass it off as her husband's child. They were newlywed at the time. It got out that he wasn't hers, she didn't even want him, so she dumped him off with her husband and took off. Call it an act of grace or whatever, but seems like Beck's dad didn't want to get rid of him."

"He'd already been abandoned enough."

"Basically." Robbie turned his back to them, crossed his arms and stared at the puppet. "Everyone has something in their closet, something they don't want to get out but they have to let it out. The monster, the nightmare, they want to trust someone with it…it shapes them, causes great deals of grief that if they ignore it causes them problems as they get older."

"You think?"

"I look around and I observe." Robbie looked over his right shoulder and shrugged. "The way Beck has been dumped, he's become so obsessed with finding his real father that he doesn't care who gets hurt in the process, he's already carrying that pain he's carried since birth. Andre can't stop going from girl to girl because he can't seem to respect them, he fears them…the minute he gets close to them he remembers his mother and how his brothers and father were killed in the safest place possible by a woman they all should have trusted more than anything."

Robbie took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "Cat? Sweet girl but she always has this anxiety about her. She's lost, confused about something she can't figure out. Then there's Jade…god knows what she's carrying, even before she and Beck became an item, she had this intensity to her. She wouldn't let herself out and she wouldn't let anyone else in, not until Beck, but she's never trusted anybody besides herself."

"You're right." Ian walked alongside Robbie, looking towards the puppet with a heavy expression. "We all have our own weights to carry, it's easier when we don't have to carry it alone. You said Andre and Beck don't even know about what happened to you and to your family?"

"You two are the only ones I've told. I don't know how the others would react to this."

"If you want someone to be there when you're ready to talk about it, we'll be there."

"Thank you."

Ian uncrossed his arms and raised his eyes towards the ceiling. "You know, Tori and I have known each other a long time. You see me, you might say I've got a pretty stable family."

Robbie chuckled twice and breathed out a sigh. "I'd say 'normal' by any of our standards." Tori pursed her lips and looked towards Ian with arched eyebrows.

"I've got some smart relatives, wise ones like my grandfather who taught me to be patient and generous. Still, before me Tori dated this one dude-"

"Danny," she added. Ian and Danny were the closest friends back when she dated the guy, up to the minute Danny cheated on her.

Ian's eyes grew hazy as he recollected the seemingly ancient memory. "When he cheated on her." His chest expanded and his eyes narrowed. "I broke his arm, his leg. I did everything I could to make sure my 'best friend' suffered." Tori bowed her head and closed her eyes, remembering the memory herself. "I got into a world of trouble with my family over that, and with Tori."

Robbie clicked his tongue. "I should be surprised. I kind of had you and Tori pegged before she told us, I mean there was always that fire in your eyes whenever you looked at Beck. I don't know how nobody saw it."

"After what happened with Danny, I learned to keep all that anger under wraps. It takes a great deal to set me off now, but yeah, I'm patient because I have to be."

"Thanks for sharing." Robbie grabbed his puppet from the casket and started to smile. "It's good to know even you've got something back there."

"Yeah, but I'm putting it to rest." Ian pointed to the puppet and his eyebrows rose. "Maybe you can put your brother to rest? You can try." Robbie's lips pressed firmly together and he looked to the puppet. "You know he's watching you from another place."

"I'm sure…I just, I don't know how."

"Trust your friends. They'll be there for you." Robbie held his breath and looked to Rex with heavy eyes. When he finally released his breath, he lowered Rex down and bowed his head.

"Yeah. Yeah, it's time. Time to let go…"

Ian placed a strong hand to Robbie's shoulder and flashed a reassuring smile at the man. "It'll hurt like hell at first, but it'll be alright." Robbie set Rex back on the casket with trembling hands. "You got this."

Tori watched with pride as Ian guided Robbie through this. Moments like these were what made her love Ian all the more. Though now that she knew more about what everyone was dealing with, she couldn't help but to feel a sense of responsibility.

She wanted to be there for them, to help them through everything. She wasn't sure if it was possible, but she had to try.

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Well, this chapter got deep. What are your thoughts? Do tell. It seems Robbie is more observant than he lets on, no?


	14. A Father's Approval

Closing the Gap

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N

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Chapter 14 (A Father's Approval)

With her family seated around the living room, Tori happily glossed over Trina's latest letter. Her words were written with greater swiftness than the cheerful letters before, but what intrigued Tori the most was how much Trina was speaking about Jason in her letter.

"Jason and I started to date," she read aloud. In her peripheral vision she saw David's eyes dart towards her. "I may have mentioned that before." Holly's eyebrows rose and Tori moved her eyes along each word, reading into it mentally before reading aloud. "I've been getting to know him, getting to trust him, and last night we spent a lot of time together and…it was remarkable."

She lifted her head slowly and looked blankly towards the wall. This excitement was familiar to her, as though she knew exactly how Trina was feeling. "I love him, he loves me, and we're extremely happy together. This moment we shared last night was, well I know I want to be with him. I've never experienced anything like this, I don't know how to explain or what to say. I, Tori this has been the greatest time of my life."

_"She had sex,"_ Tori pulled her hand over her forehead and swayed gently to the right. It wasn't hard to figure out; the way Trina's letter was worded and the tone in the writing was exactly how she felt after her first time with Ian. Now she wanted to get ahold of Jason, ask him if he truly cared for his sister and wasn't treating this like a fling. _"Trina deserves more than a fling, so he'd better be treating her right."_

"This boy," David began slow and calmly. Tori turned her eyes up to him and Holly dropped her head and shoulders. "I don't know this boy, and I don't like the way that letter sounds. Do continue."

"Gladly." Her fingers tightened on the page and her eyes fell back to the words. She took a deep breath and raised her voice a notch for clarity. "I never thought I'd find someone to truly care about me, inside and out. He was so respectful of me, treats me right, and he loves me for _me_. I can't believe I've found someone that could make me so happy, and this giddy."

She raised an eyebrow at Trina's latest word. It wasn't something her sister would normally say. "My heart is racing. My body is shaking from all this excitement. I have a boyfriend now, a relationship that I think and hope will last." Trina did stop to write about a big decision Lindsay made, and to her great pleasure, Trina had also made a decision about her university.

"I have at least three acceptance letters stashed away in my desk," Tori read with a growing smile, "One of them is from the University of California in Los Angeles. I want you to place that letter on my desk beneath my lamp, I'm going to that University."

The rest of the letter was about Jason, yet again, and the more she read into Trina's excitement the more she solidified her suspicions. As she finished, David grabbed the letter from her and started reading it himself. His eyes were filled with anger and his hands were shaking.

"Why does it sound like she's having sex? My girl is hundreds of miles away having sex with someone I don't know. What if he hurts her? I can't protect her." Tori smiled partially and Holly rubbed David's back.

"Our girls are growing up, David. You can't protect them forever."

"At least I can watch over Tori and Ian." Her heart stopped and her jaw fell agape. Her parents looked over at her and Holly's eyes fell halfway. As her eyes grew large, she pushed herself up from the chair and raised her voice.

"You know about us?"

"Yes Tori, we know." David waved his hand and pointed to the security cameras. "We have cameras in the house, I see Ian slipping out of your room when he never went in."

"I wash the laundry dear," Holly said quietly. "Your bedsheets have a certain smell to them. We've been meaning to have this talk, sweetheart…"

"I don't approve," David replied gruffly, "But at least it's Ian. I trust him and I've seen how he is with you. I do not think the two of you should be doing what it is you're doing, you're too young for that." He set the letter down on his knee and glared at it as though it were a tumor. "Now Trina's off with some boy in the mountains."

"H-He's Mr. Sikowitz's nephew," Tori said while stumbling through her words. She shook her head and shut her eyes. "I'm sorry, you _knew?"_

"I suspected for a while. Holly brought it to my attention." David stood up and crossed his arms. "Any of those three men you've been hanging around and I'd tear in on them, but Ian? I like Ian. I don't like him touching my daughter, but-"

"We're in love, Dad. I'm not going to stop caring for him."

"I would prefer the two of you not be as active sexually as you are. How often?" He rolled his head to the side and she shrugged. It wasn't something she thought about, but if she had to guess, it was possibly once or twice a week.

While she didn't want to lie to her father, she probably didn't need to say twice a week. "Once in a while, Dad. Maybe not once a week, but it's kind of spontaneous." David's eyebrows closed together and turned away with a shudder.

"Get him over here. Now."

Holly sighed, "Go easy on the boy David."

Ian was over in twenty minutes, and rushed in the door since Tori told him it was urgent. "Is everything okay?" He froze as his eyes moved into David's. The man approached calmly. His eyes moved up and down Ian's body, as though checking for weakness. "Sir?"

Tori waved from behind, catching Ian's attention for the moment. "Ian, he knows. Mom and dad know everything." Ian began to pale as David's lip twisted into a bright smirk.

"You do not become a homicide detective and _not_ know how to read people. Now sit down." Ian moved to the couch, but David called out to him. "Recliner." Tori smiled sweetly as Ian followed the instruction. She took a seat on the side of the couch closest to him and reached across the end table, taking Ian's hand and looking into his eyes with as much reassurance as she could.

David grunted as he approached the spot. Holly leaned over Tori and peered at Ian closely. "Ian, keep this in mind. You're on his good side, if you want to remain there and you want him to continue to approve of your relationship with Tori, be as open and honest with us as possible. Be respectful and polite."

Ian nodded and looked at David with a polite smile. David crouched before him, glaring into Ian's eyes for what seemed the longest time. To Tori's pleasure, Ian didn't look away. "How long have the two of you been together, Ian?"

"Nearly three years, sir."

"Since when did you start having sexual intercourse with my daughter."

"About a year into our relationship." David leaned back slowly and turned his head to Tori. A nervous chuckle fell from her lips and she opted to remain silent. "I see." David raised his shoulders and turned back to Ian. "And if I were to ask that you stop having sexual intercourse?"

"I would respect your wishes, if that were the case, sir." Tori's eyes fell to the ground and her hands folded in her lap. "I have never and would never do anything to harm her. I love her very much."

"I can see that. I've watched your relationship progress, wondering when the two of you would tell me you were dating." David stood up and looked to his wife. "Holly brought it to my attention that you were having sex, that angered me."

"I apologize, we had no intention of disrespect, sir."

"It was my fault, Dad." David turned to her, raising an eyebrow as she rose from the couch. "We made love the first time, I knew you and mom wouldn't approve of it, so we kept that private. I wanted to keep the relationship private also because I didn't think you would let me date at such a young age."

"I wouldn't have." He crossed his arms and she bowed her head. "Even still, I would have preferred that you told me from the minute you two became serious. Holly stood up and placed her hand on David's shoulder.

"Sweetheart, I think the way they are right now-"

"I'm fine with their relationship." David took a deep breath and Tori smiled at Ian. "I'm not happy with the two of you having sex, but I'm not going to ask you to end that." Her heart skipped a beat and Ian's eyebrows rose. "I expect you to respect one another, however."

Tori was amazed that her dad would be this accepting of them, so much that she was near speechless. "So, wait, you do approve? I mean, as protective as you are, Dad."

"I know love when I see it, and remember that I have seen how you two interact. As I said, I am not comfortable with the sex, but as long as I know you two are treating each other with respect and care, I will not stand in the way. However, I do have conditions." David turned to Ian with a stern expression and pointed a finger at him. "You are to come through the front door. No more sneaking around, no climbing in through windows to meet my daughter. Understood?"

Ian rose to his feet and nodded fervently. "Understood, sir."

"Good. I know my wife has both our daughters taking the pill, but if you two insist on having a sexual relationship, you'd better be using a condom from here on out."

"Yes sir."

"Now…" David's eyes darted to the door and his mouth twisted to a scowl. "I have _another_ daughter beginning a relationship that I must tend to." Ian raised an eyebrow and Tori flashed a sheepish grin.

Tori managed to beat her father to Hollywood Arts by at least a five minute window. She made her way to Mr. Sikowitz's classroom where he was still working on grading papers as he did towards the end of the day. "Mr. Sikowitz!" She burst through the door and his head jumped up.

"Miss Vega? You startled me."

"Yeah, um, I need to warn you." She hurried around the front desk and looked to his phone. "My dad's coming, he's a little angry, and-"

"Angry? At me?"

"No." She cleared her throat. It wasn't going to be easy to tell the man his nephew was in a relationship with her sister, especially if he didn't have any idea. She assumed he didn't know anything about it because he hadn't said anything. "It's your nephew, and he's going to demand access to your phone line."

"My nephew?" Sikowitz's eyebrow rose and he leaned back slowly in his chair. "Jason's away at camp, what could he possibly have done?"

Just then the door flew open and David walked in like a tornado rushing into a city. "Give me your phone, Erwin. Your nephew is having sex with my daughter." Sikowitz's eyes widened and he looked at Tori for answers. "The other daughter."

"Trina? He's mentioned meeting a girl at camp and dating, but he hasn't mentioned anything personal about her." Tori closed her eyes and responded with a nod.

"It's Trina, Mr. Sikowitz. They're very happy together."

"Yes, his letters do indicate a change for the better." Sikowitz picked up his phone and extended it. "Here, Mr. Vega, you may call Jason." David grabbed the phone and stormed over to the window, muttering angrily. Tori spun around and took a deep breath.

"Dad." He turned his head up to her and scowled. "Keep in mind she is eighteen now, and is allowed to have a mature relationship. She's finally met someone who makes her happy."

"That's the important thing," David replied, "But I need to make sure who this boy is. I don't know him, and my daughter is in a relationship with someone I can't watch."

Sikowitz rose and walked around to the front of his desk. "I assure you Mr. Vega, my nephew is a commendable boy. He would not do anything to hurt your daughter."

"No disrespect meant, but until I hear from him myself, I have no reason to assume anything about him."

Tori sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "Just be careful Dad, I know you're concerned and just being protective and all but remember you do want to stay on Trina's good side. She's finally in a good relationship, and she might not like you tearing that apart."

"I won't tear it apart, I only want to talk to this boy. That is all." He put the phone to his ear and paced to the right. Silence filled the room as they waited. It was a few seconds before an answer came. "Is this Jason?" David perched his right elbow on his left forearm and narrowed his eyes. "This is David Vega, Trina's father. It has come to my attention that you and my daughter have started to date. I'd like to know where you expect this relationship to lead, and what your intentions with my child are."

Tori gave Sikowitz an apologetic look and took a seat in one of the classroom chairs. She kept an eye on her father, hoping to make sure he didn't screw anything up with Trina.

"I see. Where is Trina right now?" David stretched his back and peered out the window. "Spending time with her friend? Okay. How did this relationship start between the two of you, do you intend for it to go beyond the camp? I don't want my daughter getting her hopes up about a man for it to end only at the end of summer." His eyes softened and his left hand rose to the back of his head. "God knows she's had enough men getting her hopes up."

David fell silent, slowly nodding. He appeared to be listening intently to something, and a tiny smile was growing on his face. "I understand. You talk as though you care a great deal for her, I can't be there to protect her if someone hurts her, so know this…"

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "That girl that you hold in your arms is my little girl. I held her first when she was a baby, and all throughout the years when she looked at me all I could think was how much of an angel she is. She's been through a lot, and she will always be my little angel no matter what and no matter how old she becomes she is my little girl. So when you hold her, you better treat her right and you treat her with respect and dignity. Don't play games with her, she deserves someone who will care for her."

David's smile grew and his muscles loosened up. He leaned back against the wall and sighed. Their conversation went on for some time, long enough that Tori was beginning to doze from the boredom.

"Young man, I hope you know I expect to meet you when camp is over. I look forward to that." When she heard those words, she perked up and looked at her father curiously. He hung up the phone and set it down on Sikowitz's desk. "He sounds like a good kid. Sounds like he's been through some rough patches himself, but he's got a reasonable head on his shoulders. He does sound like he cares for Katrina, and if she is truly happy and cares for him, then that is all that matters."

"Agreed," Sikowitz replied. "I would show you the letters he has sent to me, but they are personal. Still, whenever he talks about her, it's only in the fondest way. I feel like he's finally found someone that makes him happy and can actually get him to finally live life a little more."

"Good to hear." David crossed his arms and stared down at the phone. "I still don't like that I can't keep an eye on them, but I trust my daughter. I know she can take care of herself, she's a strong woman. Jason sounds like a man worthy of respect. A good fit for her."

Tori was pleased to hear it, especially since it alleviated some of her concerns. She still wanted to chat with Jason herself and find out more about him, but if her father approved of the man, then she didn't have to worry so much either.

As she stood up, she felt a buzzing in her right pocket. She glanced down and removed her phone, surprised to see a text from Beck.

_"I found him,"_ the text said, _"I found my birth father."_ Tori raised an eyebrow and looked up slowly. Today was turning out to be both eventful and intriguing.

* * *

What are your thoughts? You wonder if maybe Holly got David to be as lenient? Haha. So hopefully all goes well whenever Trina returns home with Jason, but we shall see. There's clearly another father coming that may stir things up a bit...


	15. Poisonous Influence

Closing the Gap

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N: Here's this chapter before I head off to London. Do enjoy

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Chapter 15 (Poisonous Influence)

"It's not my place," Tori said as Jade followed her into her home. She waved her hand in the air and turned her head. Jade raised her voice, stressing her emphasis without yelling.

"Please. Just tell him it's a bad idea. He'll listen to you." Tori put her hands to her hips and raised an eyebrow. She watched her friend shut the door with haste, then march over to the couch where she flung herself on the center kitchen. "Beck never listens to me. I have a bad feeling about this father of his."

"How did he find the guy?"

"He knew the man's name. I let it slip that I found out the man was my dad's client." She dropped her hands and let her jaw fall open. Jade rubbed the back of her neck and looked away, her eyebrows moved together with slow caution and her lips pursed. "I was visiting Dad's office when that man was there, I heard his name." Jade's hand slid along her shoulder and fell into her lap.

"I was so surprised, I told Beck without thinking." Tori breathed in and sat beside Jade. It sounded like a simple mistake, but that didn't say how Beck found the guy.

Jade's head bowed and Tori waited patiently until the girl spoke up again, though faintly. "Beck snuck into my dad's office and pulled the records. He found the man's address." A feeling of tightness struck her chest and she closed her eyes, groaning as Jade threw her eyes up to her. "I told Beck he shouldn't do this, and he said I wasn't being supportive!"

Tori rolled her head to the side and opened her eyes partially, watching as Jade flinched and yanked her hands up to her chest. "Me? Unsupportive? Accusing me of not listening? He's the one that doesn't listen."

"You want my opinion? Honestly?" She propped her elbow on the armrest and curled her hand on her lower jaw. Jade nodded slowly. "You two don't seem to communicate well with each other."

Jade's eyebrows sank in the center of her forehead and she shouted back. "Who asked you!" The girl froze and Tori hummed for a moment. She watched Jade take a deep breath and look away. "I…I'm sorry, that was uncalled for."

"Jade. How often do you shout at Beck when he tries to point something out that upsets him? How often do the two of you compliment each other and just talk? Like you, he has problems, concerns and stuff."

"Well I…" Jade's phone buzzed and she quickly moved to check it. The color in Jade's face went away. Her lips and brow started to quiver, and her fingers trembled. "Beck found his dad outside a bar and now they're inside. Tori." Jade lowered the phone and whimpered once. "Why would he go into a bar with someone he doesn't know?"

"Supportive or not, this is Beck's birth father, and finding the man means a lot to him."

"I know, but for him to go into a bar he's not old enough to be in?" The bouncer wouldn't normally let that happen, but she had a feeling Hector told them Beck was with him. "He's always saying he doesn't care for bars and stuff."

She glanced to a picture on the television, studying her father. An idea came to mind and she uncurled her index finger, using it to tap her cheekbone. "Let me deal with this, alright? Go home, I'll get Beck out of there if I can."

"What? What will you do?"

"Just trust me…"

At the bar given by Jade, Tori followed her father inside. The bouncer recognized David, and there was little need to worry about Tori. "Stay close," David said clearly.

Tori scanned the smoky area and furrowed her brow upon Beck, who was seated beside a husky looking man. This man was tall, had light brown hair going partway down his tanned neck, and his scarred hand was raised as he spoke to Beck.

In front of this man was a glass of vodka. To Tori's surprise, Beck had a shot glass in front of him. Between the two was a bottle of beer. "Oh god, Dad…" David turned his eyes towards the glass and crossed his arms, huffing once.

"We get a lot of calls about bartenders and bouncers letting minors in or letting them have a drink. The police has warned the owner to cut this out." He shook his head and closed his eyes. "A judge can order this place closed."

"I can't believe Beck would even take a drink." She tugged on her father's hand, pulling him towards a table near Beck. "Let's sit and listen." She narrowed her eyes and sat down with her back to him. "I want to hear what they're talking about." Her father couldn't arrest the man for letting a minor drink because that wasn't in his scope of duty, but he certainly could report it.

"Sorry to hear that kid," she heard Hector say. "I remember your mother. I didn't peg her the type to dump you and run." Beck chuckled nervously as Hector poured a bit of his beer into the shot glass. "Have another drink." Beck lifted the shot glass and studied the drink, then downed it as though inhaling air. "Women. Am I right?"

"I guess." Beck set the glass on the counter and smacked his lips. "I…I've never drank before."

"Sometimes kid, you have to put 'em in their place. Show 'em who's boss." Hector pat Beck on the back, causing him to jump forward and start coughing. Tori felt a sharp pain in her side and moved her hand up to her chest, groaning as it grew tight. "The man that raised you, I give him credit for doing that when he didn't have to."

"Um." Tori turned her head and narrowed her eyes at Beck. His shoulders were slumped and his hands were folded together on the counter. She hoped Beck would see this man was nothing but trouble, despite how much he wanted to meet him. "You know, um what can I call you?"

"Dad, Pops, any variation you like. Hell, you can even call me 'ass' if you'd like!" Beck flashed a grin and his eyes lit up like that of a pup being praised for the first time. "So what's going on with that girl of yours?"

"She constantly accuses me of cheating."

"And have you?"

"No."

Hector ran a finger over his chin and pointed off to the right. Tori followed his gesture with her eyes and gasped when she saw a busty brunette leaning over a pool table. She had short pants and a tank top that hung barely from her breasts.

Beck leaned himself back and his lips parted for a moment. "Um, why are you pointing her out, 'dad'?" Tori covered her mouth and looked up as David looked to her with a warning look.

"Since your dame's so paranoid and refuses to believe when you haven't cheated, maybe you can give her something real to fall back on." Hector hung his elbow over Beck's shoulder and started chuckling. "I happen to know that girl right there gets flat out drunk each night and offers some damn good head." Beck whimpered and Hector laughed.

"I've not done anything with her since she's far too young for me, but you seem just her type."

_"Say no and walk away," _Tori pleaded in her mind. _"Come on Beck, you're better than this. Be strong."_

"I don't know." Beck scratched his neck and watched his birth father pour yet another glass of beer. "I've never actually cheated. I don't feel like cheating." Tori let out a sigh of relief and nearly jumped up with excitement. "Then, I know Jade will never stop accusing me of cheating, no matter what…"

"She already thinks you're cheating on her. It's like she's giving you the go ahead, son." Beck picked up the shot glass, studying it again. "Take the drink. It's clear you haven't drank enough." Hector pat Beck on the shoulder and started to smile. "Oh and don't worry, you don't need to cheat on your girl. You're better for it."

"Really?"

Tori knew this guy was just being slick now; impressing Beck as if he were testing him the entire time. Her blood boiled with rage and her teeth clenched and ground together.

Beck smiled back at Hector, then drank once again. Tori looked at the bartender and started fuming when she saw him on the other side of the bar looking at Beck from the corners of his eyes.

"So what happened with your wife? I know I have a half-brother and all somewhere…"

"Ah." Hector lifted his glass of vodka to his lips and his eyes slanted. "I haven't seen them in ages. Wouldn't you know, my wife divorces me and wants nothing to do with me."

Tori wasn't surprised by this. She had no doubt in her mind that a man like this wouldn't be someone a woman might want around. "I tried to get ahold of my half-brother, but he wasn't in the mood to talk." Hector closed his eyes and leaned his head back, humming as he swallowed his drink.

"Maybe another time. I wouldn't worry too much about getting in touch with him. My own son got into a fight with me a couple times, so he isn't someone you should get involved with." Tori scoffed and crossed her arms. She sucked air through the slits between her teeth and looked up at her father.

"You want me to break this up?" David asked. She did, though at the same time, she wanted to see how far this conversation would continue. If Beck were to see her or even David, he might realize something was up.

"So." Beck took another drink and looked at the door. "I couldn't help but to notice that motorcycle out there." Hector slammed the vodka glass down on the countertop and cupped both hands around it.

"Ah yes. That was my son's, before he and my wife took off. I got it for him when he was younger, but he didn't want it anymore once he left." .

"I see. I've never ridden one."

"No?" Hector flashed a toothy grin and waved towards the door. "I can teach you to ride one. You may enjoy the rush of the wind, and so on." Tori watched her dad's fingers slide across his phone and start typing. A note of curiosity hit her and she leaned over, but he pocketed her phone before she could see.

"Texting a friend of mine." David smirked and looked towards Hector. "Plus, all this talk of cheating has inspired me."

"What?"

It wasn't long before the bar's door opened up and Gary entered in full uniform. Tori's jaw dropped and her eyes widened as her father rose to his feet. Gary's hands were on his belt, and his eyes were scanning the place.

She looked to the bar just in time to see Hector carefully pull the shot glass away from Beck. Gary approached the man with David. Beck averted his gaze while Hector looked up with a smile. "How may I help you, officer?"

"There's been reports of a man allowing a minor to drink," Gary began.

"Why it's just me and my boy." Hector put his arm around Beck's shoulder, laughing uproariously. "I wouldn't let him take a niff of anything stronger than America's most watered down beer."

"I see." Gary raised a hand and pointed at the man. "I'm going to have to ask that you take your son and exit the establishment. You are disrupting the patrons."

"Yes, well, the patrons can go fuck themselves." Hector turned his back to Gary and shrugged. "We were just leaving anyhow." Minutes later Hector and Beck left the bar. Gary and David walked outside as well and Tori followed, waiting to see what would happen next.

"You know Gary." David walked over and stretched his back while watching Hector and Beck drive off into the distance. "That boy is the product of that man's affair. It got me thinking…"

Her heart stopped and she could feel her hair standing on end. Gary turned towards David, smiling gently as his friend's eyes narrowed.

"You and I? We were partners once, on the same team. Friends, even, but those days are over." Gary's smile was gone as soon as it had appeared. David's hands clenched and his eyebrows started to look as though they'd been lit by fire. "I know about you and my wife."

"Oh." Gary brought his hand to his chest and swallowed heavily. "She ended that, Dave. We're…not doing anything together anymore."

"Yes, but I feel like I've never properly discussed the matter with you."

Tori begged under a whisper for him to walk away-knowing all too well what her father would do. It had been a bad idea to bring her dad to eavesdrop when the memories of her mom's affair was so fresh on his mind.

"You almost destroyed my family, you know that?"

"Dave…"

David cracked his neck to the left, then the right. Tori tried to move for him, but her legs were frozen in place and her heartbeat was pounding so fast that she feared it would explode if she took any movement at all.

Gary spread his arms out to the sides and let out a nervous chuckle. "What do you want me to say? I'm sorry. I know I stepped over the line."

"You're damn right you did." David's lips pulled away, revealing his bared teeth like a guard dog preparing to strike. Gary's eyes widened and Tori felt a lump forming in her throat.

"David, she came to me for comfort because you weren't spending any time with your family."

David's voice shot up like a rocket and he reared his fist. "That doesn't give you a right to fuck my wife." Gary's eyes bulged as David swung his fist into the man's jaw, causing him to fall to the ground.

Tori lunged forward, moving her hand to her father's shoulders. "Dad, don't!" David's chest heaved and his clenched fist fell to his sides. Rage burned like a fire in his eyes and his nostrils flared.

Gary threw his hand to his face and looked up with a pained expression. Instead of striking again, David pulled away from Tori and pointed down at Gary. "Our friendship is over. You come near my house, my family, my wife, and I'll have you arrested for trespassing."

She looked to Gary apologetically and followed her father to the car. Once inside, she shot him a fierce glare. "What was that all about, Dad?" David grunted and shrugged.

"Sorry. Seeing that guy back at the bar put me in a foul mood." His eyes moved towards the left and an exhale fell from his lips. "Plus, I've been wanting to do that for some time now."

"So you've got it out of your system?"

"Yes."

"Good." She rolled her eyes. "Let's just go home…I have no idea what I'm going to tell Jade."

* * *

Lots of anger here, and of course we see a new but primary influence on Beck. What do you suspect will happen here? What are your thoughts?


	16. Drowning

Closing the Gap

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 16 (Drowning)

To Tori's chagrin when she returned home, Jade was already there, and the girl wasted no time getting do0wnm to business. "So did you find him?" Jade nearly jumped from the couch and bolted over to Tori, looking back eagerly. "What happened?"

Tori pushed past the girl, sweeping her hand through her hair. "It's not good." She didn't know how to sugarcoat it, and wasn't in the mood to be anything but blunt, but in this case bluntness was the better choice. "Beck's father has him drinking and trying to get him involved in some shady shit."

It didn't take long for fear anger to take hold of her friend, and soon Jade was pacing away while muttering curses under her breath. "Beck didn't look entirely comfortable, so I think we have that luck." If anything, he'd decide his father was too shady to be around, but if not, they might have an issue.

Either way she needed to think about what to do. Trina was dating Sikowitz's nephew, and was Beck's half-brother, so he would know what to do, but at the same time she didn't want to bother him. Jason and Trina seemed to be having a good time and she wasn't about to disrupt that by bringing up something that may or may not grow into an issue.

"But what if he doesn't? What if he moves on?" Tori sank on the couch with a groan. Now this girl was beginning to sound needy-but then, all of her friends came across that way lately.

She raised her heels to the coffee table and leaned back with her right forearm over the top of her head. "Relax, Jade. Maybe you have something else to worry about besides him?" Her head was pounding, every inch of her body was numb, and she could barely keep her eyes open.

"We should figure something out, Tori! I don't want to lose him…"

"You won't, but later okay?" She dropped her shoulders with a sigh and closed her eyes as Jade began a tirade about important Beck was to her. For her, she couldn't fathom anymore what it was that Jade saw in the man, but she didn't want to get involved yet again.

It wasn't long before Jade's voice began to fade away and her consciousness disappeared. In her mind's eye she saw herself playing in the sand just away from a grassy area where her sister was throwing a Frisbee across a field.

A young pup chased after it, barking happily. On the other side of the field their parents watched; David's arm was around Holly's shoulders and his proud gaze was focused on his oldest child. "She's going to be just like her old man one day," David said with a laugh that shook his body.

"You never know," Holly reminded him, "I'll bet our little girls will be stars someday."

"Stars? Like what? Fame? I don't want that for either of them. They deserve to have a normal life, not a life in the spotlight."

"I'm sure they will, whatever they do, so long as they're happy…"

Tori stood and walked to the shallow end of the lake, laughing happily as she splashed the waters with her hand. She took another step, throwing her tiny fingers through the waves. "Tori," she heard her mother call, "Tori come back here please."

"Oh she's fine."

She took another step and the water was now up to the middle of her chest. "David, go get our daughter before she wanders off." Tori took another step, but this time she felt nothing beneath her and stumbled. "Victoria!"

The water had an odd shade of jade to it as the sunlight pierced through and bathed her like a spotlight. "I can't do this," she thought to herself. Tori kicked her legs and swept her arms in a circular motion as she began to sink. She opened her mouth to scream, but only bubbles escaped her lips.

"I'm drowning." She rolled over, screaming again. Her lungs began to burn as they filled with water, and her body felt as though it were being weighed down by bricks. "Somebody. Help me. This is too much, it's too much, I can't do this! Help!"

She never learned to swim because water always frightened her, just like the dark. She wasn't like her sister and she hated it. Trina was the athlete, she was the strong one. A fish out of water, and here she was, drowning beneath a sea of troubles.

Tori closed her eyes, desperate to give up, when suddenly she felt a pair of arms lock around her.

"Somebody save my baby!" Her mother cried. David was in the water, but he was too far away. Trina was there, pulling her out, but Tori could see her sister beginning to fade as though she wasn't there anymore. "My baby's drowning! God hurry, David! Get to her!"

"Trina's already there but I'm trying," David cried out between each breath he took outside the waves.

"Hang in there." Trina's voice was like a melody to her ears, relaxing and comforting her. Just as they surfaced, David reached them and took her into his arms. When she looked back, Trina was nowhere to be found.

She opened her mouth, but she was extremely weak. "T-Trina? Where's Trina?" David just looked at her as though she were speaking some foreign language. "Where's Trina?"

"Who?"

"My sister…"

"Sister? What sister?"

"Your favorite, Daddy. We all know."

Just then her eyes shot open and she sat upright in the couch, gasping loudly. She began to pant and looked around furiously. Her arms and neck were sticky with sweat, and her hair seemed glued to her throat. "Where am I?" Her pupils dilated and her trembling hands rose to her face.

"Tori relax, it's okay." Cat's voice echoed in her head and she began to search the room. The redhead was right beside her, holding her hand over hers. When she met the girl's eyes, she took a deep breath in a failed attempt to subdue herself. "You were having a nightmare, I think."

"Yeah," she stammered, "What are you doing here?"

"Jade called, she was upset and said you fell asleep on her so she went home." Cat turned her head and pointed to the door. "I just got here when your mom was leaving for work, she let me in. Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine."

"Should I call Ian?"

"No, I don't want to bother him." She leaned back and wiped the sweat off her forehead. Just then she saw Cat grab a glass of water and extend it to her.

"I thought you could use a drink?" She waved her hand in the air, still feeling a burning sensation in her lungs. She almost died, but it was only a dream. Cat set the glass back down and scooted to the other end of the couch. "You know, if you want to talk about it, I'm here. They say dreams mean something…"

Tori clenched her eyes and recalled her dream in flashes. "I saw a spotlight cast down on me. I was drowning. My sister vanished and no one knew who she was."

"You're stressed." That was putting it lightly. "You want me to make some soup or something?" She shook her head and dropped her hand to her knees. "I read once that when you dream about drowning, it can mean you've taken on a lot and you're stressing out under all the pressure."

She flattened her lips together and crossed her arms. "I think it means something else, Cat, but thanks for that…" Cat's eyebrow rose and Tori looked away. It was clear the girl only meant to help, and Tori was being a jerk even though she didn't mean to be. "I'm sorry." She closed her eyes and her head swayed from side to side. "I don't mean to be uptight with you."

"It's okay, I understand."

"No." Tori breathed in again, finally able to breathe normally, then exhaled. "When I was younger-five or six-I almost died." It was during one of the family's trips to the beach, she wandered away from them as she had in the dream and wound up tripping on something.

Cat's hands rose over her mouth and her eyes grew. "I never learned to swim, and Trina was the fastest swimmer in her class. They called her a mermaid in elementary school." She started laughing until she noticed a flicker of admiration and awe in her friend's eyes. She took a brief pause to study the girl. "Anyway…Trina was in the water first, Dad came in after her but she was already way ahead of him."

"Did she pull you out?"

"Yes." She scratched her head and slowly rose from the couch. "I was basically dead, or close to it anyway." She walked towards the kitchen and opened the fridge. Her stomach growled when she spotted a freshly made sandwich in a plastic bag.

"What happened?"

"They had to do CPR. It took a while, but they managed to resuscitate me before the paramedics got there. Well…Mom did, anyway."

Cat swept her hair over her ear and shrugged. "She's a registered nurse, so that doesn't surprise me."

"I know. Trina was a bit of a hero after that, to everyone in her school. She didn't mention it, hates talking about it even now, but someone else in her class was there and they told everyone…so it was yet another thing that she had that I didn't."

She grabbed the sandwich out of the bag and set it down on a paper plate. "I remember being so jealous of her for a while after that. She always seemed better than me at everything." She pushed the plate in the microwave for twenty seconds. A sigh rolled away from her mouth and her eyes closed over.

"She could swim, she could run, she could play sports and she always got along with the boys. I grew up shy, terrified of not only water and darkness but of expanding myself. I was afraid if I went off by myself, something would happen, so I depended on others, relied on others and never myself."

"You didn't want to get hurt or have something happen."

"Right."

The microwave beeped and she quickly removed the sandwich. "It feels like I'm drowning all over again, though, and I don't like it. I'm not comfortable with it." Cat's brow furrowed and the girl folded her forearms across her stomach. "Between Robbie's issue, Jade and Beck having their problems, my sister wanting to leave us all behind…I feel alone and I hate every bit of it."

"You're not alone."

"I know, but it feels that way."

The doorbell rang just as she set her plate down on the table. Tori glanced over and Cat hurried to answer. To Tori's surprise, Dimitri was standing on the other side. She let out a loud groan and rolled her eyes. "Oh god, not you, not now…"

"It's been a while," Dimitri replied while stepping into the house, "I wanted to give you some time to consider." Cat looked between him and Tori, looking more lost than ever. "Have you given some more thought to my offer?"

"Have I invited you into my house?"

Cat crossed her arms and swayed her waist to the right while stretching her left leg out. "Tori? Who's this guy?" Dimitri turned around and brought his hand to his chest.

"Allow me to introduce myself. Dimitri Romanov, I'm a high powered agent that will make your friend very famous." Cat narrowed her eyes and looked past him. Tori shifted uncomfortably and looked down at her sandwich. She bit her lower lip and felt her appetite wane.

"Well maybe she doesn't want fame."

"Don't be silly child, every teenage girl wants to be famous, and I am here to give her that." Dimitri approached Tori and set his hand on her shoulder. "You look troubled, has life got you down?" She raised her head and turned her eyes towards one of the security cameras in the kitchen. "Just accept my offer and I can guarantee you will no longer have to worry about all the troubles you are facing now. I can put you on a stage, I can make you a star."

"Honestly it's tempting…"

It was truly more and more tempting to just go away and never look back, so she would never have to face what felt inevitable. No matter how hard she tried to fix things, she felt like that girl drowning all over again.

"Of course. You enjoy the attention, the applause and the spotlight. Come with me and you never have to deal with the woes of this life."

"But my friends. They need me."

Dimitri waved his hand in the air and scoffed. "They can deal with their own problems, can't they?" She leaned forward, bending her elbows on the table and raising her hands to her face.

"My boyfriend."

"He will be fine, but the life of a starlet doesn't allow for these things to last."

Her eyes fell to the table and nausea swirled about her stomach. "My family."

"Do you think they wouldn't want this for you?"

Cat straightened herself and clenched her fists at her waist. "Okay creep." Tori glanced up just in time to see Cat grab the man's wrist and yank him towards the door. "You leave my friend alone, she doesn't have time for this, whoever the hell you are."

"Excuse me?"

"There is no way she's leaving her boyfriend behind, or her family, or even us." Cat pushed the man outside, slammed the door shut and locked it tight. Tori nearly collapsed on the ground as the relief rolled over her. Cat spun around and clamped her waist with her hands. "Well? What was that about? Who was that guy?"

"Exactly what he said he was." She pushed herself up and shrugged. "I didn't want to bother any of you with him because I don't want you to worry about me, but he's just some Russian agent trying to get me to sign a contract and make me a star. The only catch? I have to give up my life here and go to Russia…"

"How long have you been dealing with this guy?"

"A while…He's persistent."

Cat threw her hands in the air and raised her voice. "Oh my god, why the hell have you been dealing with this on your own?" She frowned at the redhead and bowed her head, taking her scolding as though it were bitter medicine. "Just because we have our own problems doesn't mean we can't be here for you. You don't have to carry the world on your shoulders all the time."

Tears welled up in her eyes. She clenched her teeth together and balled up her hands. "It feels like I have to." Her muscles started to tense as the nightmare came back into view. "I have to fix things, because if I don't, what happens? I lose everyone, everything and I…I can't…"

"And that Russian guy?"

"I-" She stopped herself, unable to answer. Part of her felt like she was using the man for backup, because she didn't know what she was going to do if she failed. If her family fractured and her friends all split, then she would have no one left except for Ian-but she was terrified that if all this happened she would become so fractured herself that even he might leave her. "What if I have no choice? What if I have to accept Dimitri's offer because there's nothing left?"

"That's a cop out. Worse, that's fear talking." Cat sat down at the table and shot a disapproving look at her. "You don't need him, but you need to shape up and quit worrying about everyone else."

"If only it was that easy."

"It's not, but it's better than giving up. I know you feel like everything's going to hell and stress is just eating away at you." Cat raised her hands to her chest and started to laugh. "I feel like that every day, Tori. Come on." Tori smiled a bit as Cat dropped her hands to the table. "But you don't see me getting ready to just give up because it's getting difficult."

"How is your problem that difficult?" She leaned her head back as Cat raised an eyebrow. "I-I don't mean that to be insensitive, I just…I know you're at that area where you're not sure how you feel about things and-" She stopped herself again, shutting her eyes and burying her face in her hands. "Oh god I can't say it right, I'm sorry, Cat. I'm not trying to be insensitive."

"Don't worry, I know what you mean." Cat took a deep breath and shrugged. "The confusion is tough, yeah, but so is the feeling of…well, you know how it feels to have a crush on someone that you know it will never happen and it can't happen for a number of reasons?"

"Yeah?"

"I care deeply about Robbie, I want to date him, but like I said, sexually I'm attracted to girls." Cat's arms crossed over her chest and she bowed her head, looking seriously at the table. "I don't want you to judge me, and I'm terrified of that because of the girl I have a crush on, and I know that girl is seeing someone because you already mentioned she was."

"I don't understand-and I wouldn't judge you."

"You wouldn't?" Cat scoffed for a second and looked off to the right. "Okay well let's say hypothetically…Er, who's this guy with your sister?"

"His name is Jason, they're at camp together."

"Right." Cat closed her eyes and Tori noticed the long pause before the girl spoke up. "And how do you feel about that? Are you protective?" She was terribly protective, in the sense that she knew Trina was having sex and she wanted to demand a conversation with Jason.

"I am. I don't like not knowing the guy."

"Right, well imagine some chick you knew had sexual fantasies regarding your sister, and she's already in a straight relationship with a guy you don't really know that well-and maybe even a sexual one. How would that make you feel? Uncomfortable?"

"A little…" She was beginning to get the gist of what Cat was saying, and it shocked her, but she didn't want to say anything. Hell, she hardly knew how to react. "Cat, if you're telling me you have a crush on my sister…" The girl cast a blank stare onto her and she raised her hand up to her forehead.

It made sense now. Cat was always the one being quiet and now the one standing up for Trina. She was the one getting more involved with Tori recently, even.

"Oh Cat…I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for? I know what my chances are with her and possibly even with Robbie are. You don't see me giving up under pressure, but I have friends like you to talk to, and that makes it easier."

Tori smiled faintly and nodded. "I'm glad you think so."

"Trust us, Tori. I mean look, you've already trusted us with the fact that you have a boyfriend, and nothing bad has happened. We're here for you just like you're here for us. Quit carrying things by yourself."

"I-I will try."

"Yeah, and if that creep comes back, let us know."

She didn't know what her friends could do about that, if anything at all. "I will." Tori smiled back at the girl and wiped away the mist beneath her eyes. "I just need to rest, I think. Clear my head a bit, and maybe get some fresh air."

"That might be a good idea."

Tori picked up her sandwich and looked over it to her friend. "And Cat?" The girl was scratching her neck and peering down. She turned her eyes up and smiled politely. "Thank you for the talk."

Cat was right, Tori didn't like the idea of one of her best friends thinking about her sister in such a way, but she could deal with it. Right now, that was the least of her problems.

* * *

Well, what are your thoughts on this chapter?


	17. Discovering One Another

Closing the Gap

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 17 (Discovering Each Other)

Tori met with the group at their regular table at the school and was surprised when Jade showed up by herself. The girl was moving slowly and appeared to be swaying with each step, her eyes were glazed over and her face was red. "Jade?" Tori rose from the table and moved towards her friend. "What's wrong? Where's Beck?"

"I don't know," Jade answered, "I was up all night waiting for him to call and let me know he was okay." Jade wiped her face and stared at her hand with disgust. There was now a streak on her cheek where pale makeup had been. "He was with his dad again." Jade lowered her hand and Tori started to groan. "His birth father."

Time had passed on, to the point that it was summertime-they were still allowed to convene at the tables outside the school of course. Over time, Beck was fading slowly from the group, and they felt the pain of losing him.

Andre leaned back slowly and Tori flinched when she heard his hand strike the table. "Man that guy's a bad influence on him," Andre replied. The anger in his tone shook the area and drew the gazes of the others towards him. "I know he just wants to spend time with his father, but man, even Mr. Vega would be a better father to spend time with." Tori raised her eyebrow and crossed her arms. "Uh, no offense meant, Tori…"

"None taken." She walked back to her seat and watched Jade take hers. "My dad would be a better person to hang around than Beck's birth father, that's true. Plus, Dad's trying. He's gotten better."

She looked at Robbie, curious how he was holding up. He hadn't told the others about his family yet, and she knew they would be understanding if he did. To that same token, she hadn't spoken about Dimitri yet. She also had not told them fully about Trina's relationship she started at camp; she was still partially afraid of doing that.

Tori opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by Andre. "How's your sister holding up at camp, Tori?" She flinched and the others murmured their questions regarding Trina, all of them were interested in knowing about her progress.

"Funny you guys would ask."

"Well you haven't talked about her much," Jade replied, "Not since you got us all to your presentation in the auditorium." Jade picked up a napkin on the table and carefully wiped away the blotches of makeup on her face. When finished, she set the napkin down with a sigh. "Is she well?"

"Yes." While taken aback, she was happy to see them showing an interest. At the same time, she was still suspicious of them. "She's enjoying a _lot_ of things at that camp." Her lips slid into a broad smirk and the group looked back at her with surprise and intrigue. "Let's just say, I think she's happier now than she's been in a long time."

"Well that's nice." Jade raised an eyebrow and brought her hand up to her chin. "The way you say that…has she met someone?"

"You might say that." Almost in an instant her friends began asking for details, overwhelming her like a tidal wave. Cat remained silent though, watching with the faintest smile as the others leaned towards Tori. She raised her hands and nervous chuckles escaped her. "I don't know a lot. I'm trying to gossip less as well. I just know she met someone."

"Well does he make her happy?" Robbie asked. Tori nodded and he flashed a smile. "Good. I know she always seemed depressed."

"She and I haven't exactly had an easy time in recent years." Tori slid her fingers into her hair and breathed in sharply. "I know I want to meet this guy she's with, I want to make sure he's really treating her right. She sounds happy in her letters, so I can only say I think she is, but I want to see for myself this relationship."

"You're protective. That's good."

"I think it pays to be." She lowered her arms to the table and shrugged. "I know she's the same way. You really don't know the full extent of it…there have been times where it's just been the two of us against the world. So we're close, very close, and I guess I let that get away from me for a while."

The group turned their gazes towards the table and the silence around them was deafening. She was curious what they were thinking about, yet afraid to ask. As the silence appeared to strangely increase, her body relaxed and her mind was becoming accustomed to it.

"So…" Andre's voice broke through the air and she nearly jumped from her seat as a result, despite how quiet his tone was. "You know Tori, we've said it before, but we don't really know you." Her left hand closed over her right and she pulled back the corners of her mouth into her cheeks. "Well, your family, really. We don't know much about your family, your life, or any of that stuff. Only the stuff you've ever complained about."

"He's right," Jade answered in a quick and sharp voice. The girl's voice bore a slight rasp. Jade cleared her throat a couple times before speaking up again, this time with a normal tone. "Tell us about your family, tell us more about who you are rather than some girl that gossips about her relatives."

Tori's gaze opened more and she stifled a laugh. "Well, I don't know where I could even start." She moved her hand over her mouth and furrowed her brow. "I don't know what you _want _to know."

She felt a hand on her shoulder and her eyes darted over to Cat. "The good things." Cat smiled at her and let her hand slide away from her. "We want you to trust us, Tori. We want you to be our friend, and we want to know who it is we're friends with."

Andre leaned back and let a laugh echo into the air. "Yeah Vega, she's right." Tori's muscles tensed and she closed her eyes. "We want to know about the girl from Sherwood. We want to know about the girl in that video we saw of you."

Although there was a lot she'd already told them during the former presentation and when she opened up to them about Ian, she was well aware that all of what was said only covered a fraction of her life.

Opening up was still difficult, and despite wanting to be more open about who she was with them, she didn't know how to do that. "Well, you know I'm a 'science nerd'." She opened her eyes and a gradual smirk appeared on her face. "Who loves singing as a hobby. You want to know more about me, I could probably show you rather than just talk to you."

"Just don't start singing about the periodic elements or stuff." Andre paused and inhaled slowly. "That is not an invitation or a challenge." She could sing the elements, but she wasn't that bad about it.

"I'm just smart when it comes to chemistry and scientific stuff, Andre, not obsessed." She rolled her eyes and stood up from the table. "The only jokes about chemistry I make are to Ian and when we have sex." Her eyelids slid down partially and she felt a moment of bliss in watching her friends shiver and look away. "You want to know a little more about what I'm passionate about? Swing by the Humane Society on Spring Rd. this Sunday afternoon." They looked up at her with some confusion, but said nothing more. "Trust me."

That Sunday was busier than most at the Humane Society, which was an animal shelter that she volunteered at on a regular basis on the weekends. She often assisted the veterinarian that came by. It was a part of her life that she'd never shared with her friends, so it was frightening for her.

On part, she was grateful that things were busier than normal, because she could focus on the animals rather than her friends. By the time they showed up, she was helping the veterinarian clean and clip the claws of a German Shepherd.

She was seated with it on the table, cradling its head in her lap while running her hand gently over its ears and the back of its neck. "Just a little more," said the vet. The dog looked up at Tori with a small whine and she felt the animal's body tremble as the older woman moved for the back paw.

"It's going to be okay," she whispered to the dog, "You're almost done here." The dog flinched and turned its head towards the vet. Tori looked up at the woman with a pleasant smile. "He's a lot calmer today, Lisa."

Dr. Lisa Jamal worked at the animal shelter for nearly eight years, so she knew the ropes well and was always able to help keep the animals in good condition. "He's getting used to us." Lisa pat the dog on the head and looked down at it with a loving smile. "He was a rescue, you know."

"Yeah, poor guy." The dog looked up at her and after a second, licked her chin. She laughed on reflex and slowly ran her hand along the animal's fur. "He's such a sweetheart, I can't imagine why anyone would mistreat him."

"People can cruel, Tori."

"Yeah…"

Lisa grabbed a leash and placed it around the animal's neck. "I'll take him back to the pen and get Lucy ready for her vaccines." Tori nodded and watched the Shepherd jump happily on the floor and run in circles, barking loudly. She chuckled and stood up, dusting off her jeans. "I think your friends are here to see you."

She looked over her shoulder and saw the group watching from the viewing window. "Oh." As Lisa took the dog away, Tori went to greet her friends. She noticed Beck wasn't with them, but decided not to make a deal of it. "Hey guys."

"So this is what you do on the weekends?" Jade asked. "You volunteer at an animal shelter?" The woman crossed her arms and started to smile. "Really?"

"I have been for a couple of years now. I assist Dr. Jamal." Tori pat her hands together to brush off some dirt and dander on her palms and fingers. "She says when I get done with school and start college, she'll hire me as an intern at her primary clinic."

"Is that what you want?"

"To be a veterinarian? It's certainly an option." She didn't know exactly what she wanted to do with her life. She knew it would be in the field of biology or chemistry, but working with animals was something she loved and was very passionate about. "Here I help groom the animals, help with shots and cleaning them…I love it."

Cat looked around the room and back to the door that led outside to where the dogs were. "How come you never told us about this?" The redhead shot a glance back at her and furrowed her brow. "Did you really think we were going to judge you because you enjoy working with animals?"

"No." She shrugged. "A lot of my personal life is exactly that, personal. Private. You guys never took an interest in anything other than singing, dancing, acting…so that's what I did. That's what I talked about." Cat put her hands to her hips, pouted her lip and curled her eyebrows together while staring at her with suspicion.

"I still think you could have told us."

"I know. I'm sorry for not trusting you with it. Part of me figured if you knew I didn't have the same level of passion for the arts as all of you, that you wouldn't really want to be friends with me."

"She has a point," Robbie said aloud. Cat dropped her arms and turned her narrow eyes onto him. "I mean, it's not like we ever talked about anything other than arts. We've never talked about ourselves either…you can't think that she's the only one keeping things to herself, whether she's afraid of something or just hasn't had the opportunity to talk."

Cat nodded and Andre bowed his head. Jade looked towards the door into the room where the animals were to be and smiled when barking drifted out. Tori glanced back to see Dr. Jamal with a small yellow Labrador.

"That's Lucy," Tori said softly, "She's a puppy we found a couple weeks ago. Younger than two years old…no one has come in to claim her and we're giving her the shots she needs before we put her up for adoption."

Jade put her hand on the window and turned her head to the others that were looking now as well. "She's adorable." Jade took a breath and quickly cleared her throat. "Why would someone just abandon her?"

"Because. People can be cruel."

"Oh." Jade's brow started to furrow and her lips separated by an inch. After a minute, her hand fell from the window and she turned towards the others while taking in a deep breath. "My grandmother lives in a nursing home." Tori raised an eyebrow and Jade crossed her arms. "Every now and then, I like to go and check up on her. I give her medications, make sure she's wrapped in a clean blanket, and sometimes I like to sing to her just to make her smile…she's 92 years old and is in the early stages of Alzheimer's."

Tori watched Jade's muscles tense up and her lips shut tight as though she were holding her breath. Andre, Robbie and Cat were all staring with wide eyes at the girl, and even Lucy seemed to grow silent as everyone waited for someone to speak.

"That's great of you," Andre replied with a soft voice. "You know, we've all got things we're passionate about and things we enjoy doing, things that define us that we should share." His eyes moved upwards and his shoulders rose. "My father was a jazz musician, my brothers and I were always a part of his musical act. Every night, I play a song for them before I go to bed…no words, just soft and slow…just for them."

She smiled at him and Jade's mouth opened up. The girl's body relaxed and her eyes drifted towards Cat and Robbie. Robbie's eyes rolled and his mouth slid into a smirk. "I'm a game nerd," Robbie replied. Cat's eyebrows shot up and Tori started to chuckle. "When I'm not acting, or hanging out with you guys, I'm sitting at home trying to find out when I can buy the latest zombie game or when the next Far Cry edition is coming out."

"Probably going to be a while," Cat replied. Robbie's jaw dropped to the ground and a look of awe came over him. Cat folded her arms and the others looked expectantly at her. "If you must know." She let out a heavy sigh and curved her lips into a smile. "Every weekend I spend my nights volunteering for a crisis support hotline."

"What?"

"I sit and I listen to people who need someone to talk to. I'm there for people who can't keep it inside any longer." Tori was floored by this, in the way that she admired Cat even more for knowing this. "When I act the way that I do, it's because I'm trying to separate myself from all of that." Her body bounced and she wiped her eye with her finger. "I mean, I've got my own issues to deal with too, so on top of all that, I act all ditzy because I'm trying to separate myself from those serious emotions."

"Well we're all friends here," Andre said in reply, "If ever you needed anyone to talk to. You know…"

"That's just it." Cat unfolded her arms and circled her hand in the air. "All of this? Us finally opening up like this to one another? It's an example of what's been _wrong_ with us."

"Wrong?"

"There's more to life than singing, than dancing, acting on stage…" Cat approached them, pointing her hand to Tori. "For some it's helping out at an animal shelter, or spending time taking care of your ailing grandparent." Jade rubbed her arm and bowed her head as Cat turned to Robbie and Andre. "It's shooting down the next zombie racing at you or remembering a loved one every single night." Andre and Robbie shared a glance and Tori started to grin.

"The fact that we're just _now_ discovering this about each other when we've known each other for quite some time?" Cat rolled her eyes and laughed once. "Who even cares if we're discovered by the next music agent or if we need to rehearse for a play that will be forgotten a week after it's done?" She extended her arms and raised her eyebrows. "We're friends, and we don't even know each other beyond Hollywood Arts!"

"No wonder there's always so much tension between us," Robbie muttered, "None of us really talk about our really personal stuff. Maybe we should."

Andre ran his hand over the back of his neck. "Maybe we should start over." His mouth fell into a frown and he extended his hand while looking at the others. "Hi, I'm Andre…"

Tori shook his hand, despite the awkwardness of the moment. "I'm Tori." She heard Dr. Jamal call out to her and quickly pulled her hand away. "And I'm late."

"Yeah, go get back to work. We'll all hang later…"

"Great." She was looking forward to it, perhaps more now than she was before. She saw her friends as raw and opened up, and it was inspiring as well as great to see. They were being stronger and braver now than they'd ever been, and this was only the beginning.

It was the first time they'd seemed so real to her, and for the first time she felt like she could truly have meaningful friendships with all of them. They were allowing themselves to be exposed, trusting each other with who they truly were. No longer vain or shallow, or caring only about the arts, but showing themselves to be human with lives that extended past what was known on the surface.

Maybe now, she thought, they could come together and truly work on being friends.

* * *

Sometimes it takes bravado to open up, to let everyone see you as who you are. Cat may be right, there is more to them and their interests than the latest hit single or the next big show. What do you think?


	18. Dilemmas

Closing the Gap

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 18 (Dilemma)

"It was great." Tori leaned against Ian's chest as his arms wrapped around her stomach. She leaned her head upwards and smiled as he peered down at her. "They were just so new. Fresher, open…they've never been like that, I've never seen them so _real_ before."

"I'm sure they're real," he joked, "They just have personalities now, that's all." His mouth drifted into a smirk and she started to laugh. "Too bad Beck wasn't there, but I suspect there's not much to be done about that."

"No." She looked forward and sank as a flicker of sorrow moved through her body. Ian kissed the top of her head and she dropped it backwards against his bare chest. "I'm afraid we're going to lose him. That man? His birth father? I know he just wants to know the guy, but I'm scared he's going to influence Beck towards something bad…Even Jade can't seem to get through to him."

"It might just be something he has to discover on his own, Tori. Who knows?" She wanted to bring it up with Sikowitz because she was fairly certain that Beck's half-brother was Jason, but for all she knew, neither Jason or Mr. Sikowitz would be aware of it. If she brought it up, it could cause problems. "You worry too much about things that might be out of your control. Sometimes you can't fix everything."

"I just wish…" Her arms folded on her stomach and her hands hugged her elbows. She closed her eyes and breathed in slowly. "I wish there was something I could do, something I could say."

"I know you do." Ian leaned sideways and turned his head at an angle towards her. "You said you're pretty certain Trina's boyfriend is Beck's brother?"

"Yeah. When Beck tried to call and talk to him, I heard Trina's voice. Unmistakable." It was also the same number Sikowitz had. "I'm one hundred percent positive Jason is Beck's half-brother. Maybe he can talk some sense into Beck?"

"That complicates things."

She pursed her lips and twisted around to him as he straightened his posture. "What do you mean?" Ian's brow furrowed and the right corner of his mouth dented his cheek.

"I mean if Trina has a boyfriend, that means she trusts him. It means she would have opened up to him about a great deal of stuff." Her eyes dropped down and a shallow sensation grew within her gut. "That means he's probably aware that you have friends who mistreated her in the past. One of those happens to be Beck."

"Oh yeah."

"And what happens when he may not even _want _a brother, Tori? This guy's father had an affair and he may not realize he has a sibling that was produced through one. If he's against the idea of having a brother, add that to the fact that the woman he's in love with was mistreated by this person…there are some things it's better to just let happen naturally, and I get the feeling this is one of those times."

"Maybe." She couldn't help wanting to fix the problem, but she couldn't deny what Ian was saying. Facts stood in the way of impulse, and here the facts said there was a pretty good chance that trying to help Beck by talking to Jason would just muddy things. "It's not like I could get ahold of Jason anyway. I don't want to bother Trina or Jason with anything going on here…she's there for a reason."

"And that is?"

"To enjoy herself and to get away from the things that are here. Getting them involved would just be adding more stress and trouble to them. Trina should have a stress-free time at camp."

"If it helps, maybe I can talk to Beck. See if I can get any sense into him."

Tori pushed him onto his back and crawled on top of him. Her eyebrows moved inwards and her lips slid into an open smirk. "You don't like him." She pulled her hair onto her left side and set her hands on his chest. "Who are you trying to fool?"

Ian laughed and shrugged. "He's one of your friends." His right hand moved over her hand and his eyes drifted into hers. "I could certainly try and talk to the guy. Maybe see what the big deal is with his father."

"Jade never had a reason to worry about him cheating on her, but she always obsessed about it. Now? Now his dad might lead him to do that."

A sigh drifted from Ian's lips and he dropped his hands to the sofa. "And you want to get in the middle of that?" Tori moved beside him and sat down between his arm and body.

"If I could just help them iron out what's wrong." She pushed her hands through her hair. "Beck says he's sick of her paranoia and jealousy, but she never lets him talk and is always quick to accuse him of something. She's…well…paranoid and jealous, but needy too. She's terrified of that abandonment."

"Some relationships are just toxic and don't last." He raised his arm around her waist and set his hand onto her leg. She twisted around and looked down into his eyes. "Suppose you helped them fix their problem, maybe you could get them talking again…there's no way of telling whether that would just be temporary and serve only to prolong the inevitable."

"But I shouldn't just not _try_."

"True, and I wouldn't say that."

"Well then, what would you do?"

"If they ask for your help, help them." Ian raised his head up and Tori started to smile. "If you and I were having issues, would you want someone to butt in without your asking?"

"Of course not. It wouldn't be any of their business." She flinched and raised her eyes up to the wall in front of her. Her body relaxed and a quick sigh fell away from her lips. "I guess most couples don't want people meddling with their relationship."

Ian reached his hand up and gently slid his fingers through her hair, pushing it neatly over her ear. "It's great that you care so much about helping your friends, Tori, and I would never ask you to stop caring." Her cheeks turned a shade of red and she slowly moved on top of him, straddling his waist with her legs. "Just keep in mind that there _are_ some things that you just can't do anything about. Jade and Beck have problems in their relationship, if they need help, they'll ask for it, but relationship drama is something that you know as well as I do that people want as little outside interference as possible."

"Yeah…I guess they should solve their problems themselves." She lowered herself and pushed her hands towards his shoulders, then cupped her fingers over them. "It's just difficult when they don't even know how to communicate."

Ian chuckled once and slowly shook his head. "I'm sure they'll figure it out. They care about each other enough to not want to lose the other person, so I'm sure when there's nothing left for them to do but iron out their differences, then that's what they'll do."

He placed his hand on the lower portion of her neck and looked tenderly into her eyes. His chest rose slowly. "Otherwise Tori, how are you holding up? You've been so stressed lately…"

"I'm fine."

"No you're not."

She flashed a smirk and tilted her head. "I'm getting there." She lowered herself a bit more. Her eyes moved towards his parted lips and a hungry sensation traveled through her. "Enough talk, though."

"Works for me." She collapsed onto his chest and pushed her lips into his with a rushed groan. His arms constricted around her waist and she pushed her shoulders upwards while sliding her arms around his neck.

She could feel his hips moving up against hers, and the brush of his rough jeans teased her bare thighs. Tori leaned her head back, groaning as Ian kissed down her neck and to her shoulder. Her eyelids slammed down and her left hand moved along his smooth skin until she reached his leather belt.

Just as her fingers caressed the inside of his jeans, there was a harsh knock on her bedroom door. She froze on the spot and Ian's eyes drifted to the door. "Oh Tori." Holly's voice had a chipper note and, for a second, Tori visualized her mother's face with a broad smirk. "If you and your boyfriend are done in there, I believe your father would like his help with something."

Ian grunted and Tori dropped her head to his chest. She spoke with her lips pressed against him, giving a muffled hint of her annoyance. "What's the problem?" She asked. Her father probably didn't need help with anything, but rather, this was just the man's way of keeping them on their toes.

"It's his laptop again, sweetie, it won't do anything. The mouse is frozen, the screen's frozen…"

Ian tilted back his head and spoke up. "Did he try restarting?"

"Yes, but he says it still isn't working. Maybe you could do whatever it is you do and get it fixed? Inserting a disc or whatever it is you need and clean it out."

"My mother is so evil," Tori whispered harshly. She felt Ian's body shake as he laughed. "Dad too." She rolled onto her back and crossed her arms as Ian sat up. He leaned over her and quickly kissed her lips.

"We'll consider this a rain check, Tori." She smiled back at him and shrugged. Ian hopped off the bed and grabbed his shirt from the floor. She watched him closely, still gazing at him with tenderness.

"I love you, Ian."

"I love you too." She blew him a kiss and closed her eyes as he hurried out of the room to assist her dad. She knew her father wouldn't do anything to scare her boyfriend off, but she did think it would be a good idea to go out and make sure David didn't kill the guy.

Their conversation still weighed on her mind, and while she wished she could help her friends out with their relationship, she knew Ian was right. The couple might not even want interference, and if something happened and they wound up splitting up, they might end up resenting her.

Tori let out a sigh and turned onto her side while pulling the covers over her body. She closed her eyes and waited there until Ian returned some time later. When she felt the bed shake and a warmth touch to her back, she turned her head partially towards him and smirked.

"Mom and Dad let you come back?"

Ian pulled the covers over himself and dropped his arm around her waist. "Yeah, and your dad really can't avoid getting viruses on his computer for some reason." Ian's brow furrowed and then he raised his right eyebrow. "Although I think that last one was a self-inflicted virus."

"You mean he did something to it on purpose?"

"Probably…" She rolled her eyes and laughed. When she turned around and looked to him, she found herself enticed by his loving gaze. "So…cuddle or pick up where we left off?"

She hummed to herself and moved her arms around his body. "How about we just cuddle up?" He nodded and held her tight as she moved her head beneath his chin and against his chest.

* * *

Ah Mr. and Mrs. Vega. You have to love them. Well, this is a good chapter I would think. What are your thoughts? Would you agree that it is best not to meddle in Beck's and Jade's relationship? How do you think Jason might take the news that he not only has a brother, but his father's already beginning to influence him? Will he save Beck or let his father destroy the guy?


	19. Friends Don't Quit

Closing the Gap

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 19 (True Friends Don't Quit)

Walking behind Andre and Robbie as they connected, Tori couldn't help but to smile. It was a bright and clear day outside, and the air was surprisingly crisp, which made for a perfect walk in the park.

Andre brushed his neck with his fingers while turning his head down and away from Robbie. "That really does suck, man. What happened to your family. I'd say I'm sorry, but I know that just sounds old and redundant."

"Could be worse," Robbie replied, "You could be telling me to get over it. It's a bit impossible to do that." Andre nodded, giving the impression that he understood Robbie's situation. Robbie stretched his arms out and breathed in quick. "It feels good to get it off my chest, though."

"I bet. You know you can talk to me about this stuff." Andre and Robbie stopped a few feet ahead of Tori, so she sat down at a nearby park bench. "You're not alone, and I mean that."

"You sound like you speak from experience."

"I do." Tori looked on with surprise, but decided it was best to keep quiet and listen. It was too bad that Beck wasn't here to talk with his friend as well, but lately they were hearing less and less from him. "I lost my dad and my two older brothers a long time ago, so I know what you're going through."

She moved her hand over her mouth, concealing her slack-jawed expression. Robbie mimicked her surprise and Andre glanced at her. "It's true. I was just five when it happened. I lived in New Orleans, but was visiting grandma here at the time. Mom went crazy and was institutionalized after their deaths…" His arms folded over his chest and he dipped his gaze to the ground. "I'd like to think I've moved on from it, but the whole thing still hurts to think about."

"I can't imagine what that must be like," Tori replied honestly. She didn't want to think about what it could mean to lose her entire family in the way the boys had-just the thought of it gave her a sickening feeling in her gut. "The most I've had to worry about it is with dad's job…"

Robbie made his way over and smiled with some reassurance. "Hopefully you'll never have to deal with that kind of loss, Tori." His smile faded and he looked to the parking lot behind her. "I guess I understand why Beck's getting so close to his birth father." She pursed her lips and watched his hands close. "I've always wanted to see my family again, but Beck's never met his father. Now that he's been given that chance…"

Andre chuckled and drew their attention to him. "If I saw my father after all these years, I'd kill to spend time with him." He walked over and shrugged. "Still, I'm seeing Beck in class and all, and he really is being influenced by that guy. Not in a good way." His head titled to the right and he pointed past Tori. "Speaking of the devil…"

Tori twisted around to see and froze when she saw Beck and his father exiting a car in the lot. Beck was wearing a leather jacket with spiked shoulders, fingerless gloves, and dark denim jeans. "What the hell?" She felt her stomach lurch as the color drained from her skin. Her eyes quivered on the small ponytail that Beck's hair was pulled into, and her heart sank. "If Jade were seeing this…"

"Have you seen Jade lately?" Andre's voice lowered and his eyebrows curled together. "She's been so quiet that it's frightening. She doesn't have the heart to leave Beck, even though his dad's kind of turning him into an ass."

"Because she knows this isn't him." Tori jumped from the bench and walked around it, glaring at Beck until his eyes travelled over to her. "Beck. What the hell are you doing?"

"What does it look like?" Beck cocked his mouth into a smirk and raised an eyebrow as he folded his arms. "I'm expanding my horizons, trying new things and new looks."

"Okay." There was nothing inherently wrong with trying new looks out, but that wasn't her complaint. "Have you even talked to Jade lately?" He rolled his eyes and opened his mouth, but Hector raised a hand and cut him off.

"My son doesn't need to deal with that woman's insanity," Hector replied. Tori ground and bared her teeth at the man. Her hands balled into tight fists and her chest began to ache. "He doesn't need a paranoid woman accusing him left and right of sleeping with every woman he so much as glances at."

"Yeah." Beck lurched forward and pat his chest as if he'd suddenly become a tough guy that was too good to associate with his old friends. "I'm sick of her jealousy, her paranoia, and whatever other issues she has. She can either get a life, or get out of mine." Her heart shriveled, but rather than yell and sink to his level, she tried her best to remain calm in her rebuttal.

"Beck. This isn't who you are-you're not an ass. You love Jade, and you know it." She put her hands to his shoulders and looked into his eyes. "Listen to me, you don't have to turn into your father." Beck pushed her arms away with his and scoffed at her.

"I'm not turning into him, he's just shown me that I don't have to put up with her shit. If she can't grow up and quit being a child, then that's her problem."

"The only one being a child here is you, Beck. You're acting like you've known this guy all your life."

"I'm just getting to know him, and to be honest, some of the things he talks about make pretty good sense to me." Hector removed some fishing rods from the back of the car and Beck turned his back to Tori. "Anyway, we came to fish for a bit in the lake, not to be lectured by you."

"I'm only trying to make you see-" A hand touched to her shoulder, causing her to flinch. Andre and Robbie were standing beside her and Robbie was giving her a solemn look.

"Let him go," Robbie whispered, "There's no sense in carrying on right now." She reluctantly obliged and watched Beck and his new father depart towards the lake. A growl of frustration flew from her lips and her eyes slanted into a deadly glare.

"I don't get it. This isn't like him at all. Tell me this isn't like him."

"It's not." Andre cast a lingering gaze in the direction of his friend. He tore his eyes away and slouched. "Beck and I go back a long way, Tori. I know that's not him talking. I don't know what to tell you though. He's hardheaded, so when he sets his mind on something, he doesn't change course easily."

"So what do you think's going on with him, then?"

"Just what he says, he wants to get to know his father, and maybe he's hanging onto everything the man says." Like a dog eating out of a hand offering it food, Beck was lapping up everything Hector was telling him and wasn't thinking twice. "I wouldn't force him away just because I don't like this new guy, but I know whatever's going on is toxic…Beck just can't see it right now."

"Well we're losing him." Or at least, that was how it felt. She didn't want to have to do damage control with Jade either, so her first thought was to try and figure out just how to make Beck see this father of his was leading him down a dangerous path. "Maybe we could get Mr. Sikowitz to talk some sense into him?"

"Maybe. I mean, far be it against me to force him away from his father-whether or not I think the guy's a shithead doesn't make a difference." Andre motioned for them to follow and started for the parking lot. Tori shrugged and moved after him, with Robbie quick behind. "What does Sikowitz have to do with anything?"

"He might be related. Or at the very least, he might know Hector."

"Really?" He opened his car door and folded his forearms across the top of the door. "What makes you say that?" Tori leaned against the hood of his car and looked to the distant lake with a frown.

"You remember Beck and I went to look for his brother and went to the dorm. When we called the number he got, it was my sister's boyfriend, Jason. Jason is Mr. Sikowitz's nephew." Though from what she knew, Jason's mother was Sikowitz's sister. In that case, Hector was likely only related to him by marriage. "Plus, I think Mr. Sikowitz would be interested in knowing that he's probably related to Beck-even if it's through marriage."

"Yeah, it's worth a shot…but you don't think they're blood related?"

"No. Jason's mom is Mr. Sikowitz's sister."

She had an idea that might work for getting Beck in the same room as the others, if nothing else worked. Since he wouldn't listen to them, he surely would listen to Mr. Sikowitz. "Beck's still our friend, and he's still reachable. We just need to make him see that there's more than just Hector."

"He's pretty much idolizing the guy," Robbie stated in a near cold tone of voice. "If we've got any hope of getting Beck to see the man's an asshole, we might want to work fast." Robbie leaned sideways against a telephone pole and crossed his arms. "If Sikowitz doesn't want to get involved in this, what else can we do?"

"I don't know. I can't fix Beck's relationship with Jade-I agree with Ian that they need to resolve that conflict on their own without anyone getting in between that, but whatever's going on with Beck and Hector, it's affecting Jade. He needs to talk to her, and she needs to be able to talk to him, and the only way we're going to do that is to get them to acknowledge they have problems…"

"Right."

"The only way to do _that_ is to get him away from Hector long enough to see what an asshole he's turning into."

Trina would be coming home soon, and that meant Jason would be coming around as well. Jason seemed uninterested in talking about his father when Beck contacted him initially, so there was a good chance that he knew what kind of person Hector was, and might actually be able to talk some sense into Beck if nobody else could.

Tori pushed herself off the car and looked over as Andre entered the driver's seat. "You know…" She gripped the top of the door and Andre glanced up at her. "If nothing else, Jason might actually help Beck see what kind of man Hector is." Andre's mouth twisted into a smirk and his eyelids fell partially.

"I thought you said a while back that Jason didn't seem interested at all at talking about his father-much less a brother. Do you think he even wants a brother?"

"Ian thought the same thing, but come on. Jason can't possibly be heartless; not if he's dating my sister. If Trina trusts him enough, loves him and he cares for her, then I say he's not heartless and would actually care about Beck if he saw his brother was in some sort of danger."

"If you say so."

"Well, even if he didn't want to, I think I could talk Trina into convincing him." She wasn't going to give up on her friend. Beck needed help, and he needed it fast. If that meant convincing Jason to get involved in his half-brother's life, then so be it. "You guys wouldn't give up on Beck, would you?"

"Not a chance."

"Then neither will I."

* * *

Sorry it's been a while, again, I've had some severe writer's block and was struggling to find a way to move forward. I'm getting on track here though, so let me know what you think of this chapter. Is Beck beyond help yet, or can he be saved from the clear toxic path Hector has him on. Do you think he and Jade can salvage their relationship, or will they be doomed to fail?


	20. Tori's Plot, Trina's Return

Closing the Gap

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 20 (Tori's Plot, Trina's Return)

The perfect opportunity to get Beck in the same room as everyone else, and away from Hector, arrived when Sikowitz challenged Tori and her friends to an after school impromptu sleepover where they were to remain in character or be booted from his home.

Tori was excited for this and was thrilled when her father decided to allow her to participate. Since he knew the teacher well enough, he saw no issue with this. Furthering her excitement was the very same day, Trina was arriving home from her time away at camp.

The airport terminal was more crowded than usual with families of campers coming back from the trip, so Tori managed to get as close to the doors that Trina was to be walking through as possible. She stood on her toes to see above everyone and her eyes were darting from person to person as though her life depended on seeing her sister.

"Man I thought I wouldn't find you," she heard someone say. When she looked, she was dismayed to see the speaker was just someone in a black cowboy hat talking to a girl with red hair. "I think we all got separated going through baggage. Jesus it was hell."

"Oh I know," replied his girlfriend, "I was going to wait around for the others but I didn't feel like staying in line any longer. I hate airports, they freak me out."

"I agree. Let's grab some lunch and try to get in touch with the others once we've all settled." The girl wrapped her arm around the cowboy's arm and Tori smiled at the departing couple. She couldn't help but to wonder if the two were Travis and Lindsay, since Trina's letters indicated Travis always had his hat with him.

By the time she thought of doing anything, the couple had gotten lost amid the crowd. "If that was them, and they got separated, I wonder where Trina is." She looked back at the exit doors with a deep frown and felt an impatient urge to run ahead and find Trina herself-even though it was against airport rules.

It was some time before she saw her sister, and when she did, she was the first to run up to the girl. Trina had her luggage handles in her hands and was staring with a wide-eyed look as Tori nearly tackled her to the ground.

"I've missed you, Trina!" Trina started to cough, so Tori loosened her grip and looked over her sister's shoulder to see if Jason was anywhere within sight. When she didn't see the man, she furrowed her brow and her lips split apart an inch. "Where's Jason? I would have thought the two of you would come in together."

"Jason's return ticket was booked for the other plane coming in today," Trina answered. Her tone was sorrowful and her eyes held a look of exhaustion. There were about two or three flights coming in, so it wasn't a shock that the group might have gotten separated. "Lindsay, Travis, Jason and I were going to meet up in baggage, but airport security was pushing everyone through like no tomorrow."

"Damn." Tori grabbed some of Trina's luggage and started to guide her in the direction that their parents were waiting at. "So, are you going to try and call him? I have my phone…"

"It'll have to wait." Trina took a deep breath and swept her fingers across her forehead. "He wrote his number down for me on a sheet of paper, but I think I dropped it on the plane earlier." She gasped, but to her surprise, Trina didn't seem upset by it. "I'll just get in touch with Travis or Lindsay on facebook and get his number. We kind of figured we might get separated once we hit the airport."

"Oh. So what did you guys discuss would happen if you guys got separated?"

"We talked about just going home, getting unpacked, and contacting each other tomorrow." Trina pressed her lips together and her eyebrows flattened over her eyes. "I'll have to actually wait until tomorrow unfortunately, since I lost Jason's number, but that's okay. I'd rather he get home and rest for a bit first. I'd like to do that myself."

"Alright. It's good you've got a means of actually getting in touch." She'd be going crazy if she were in Trina's shoes, but only if she didn't have a way of access. Even without Travis and Lindsay, Trina could just as easily find Jason through Mr. Sikowitz if she had to. "Let's just get you home and unpacked." Tori hugged Trina again, applying a gentle squeeze. "It's so good to see you again-it's been a long summer."

Trina smiled back and draped one arm around Tori's shoulders. "Good to be back, sis. Hell, I might even have missed those friends of yours."

She did a double take and moved back slowly. "Really?" Trina's eyes moved up, then back on her, and her lips slid into a sly smirk.

"No." Trina's eyelids sank halfway. "I'd rather be caught in the middle of one hundred yipping Chihuahua dogs than to see your friends right now." Tori started to laugh and hurried alongside Trina as she continued onward.

"They're not that bad anymore. I told you that in my letters, right?"

"Yeah, and I think I told you, I'd have to see it to believe it."

"Fair enough."

"Either way, I'm way too tired to even think about them right now. I just want to get home, lay down, and sleep for a bit."

Once they got Trina home, the girl made good on her words and almost immediately crashed into her bed. Tori helped her father bring in the final bits of Trina's luggage and left it for the girl to unpack whenever she decided to wake up.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised she decided to take a nap after all," David said while standing outside Trina's closed door. Tori smiled as her father gazed at the door. "She sure was exhausted, it was like she'd been up the night before."

"Yeah, and then there's jet lag."

"Too short of a flight for jet lag." He rubbed his chin and raised his shoulders up. "I suppose we should let her get settled in. I've got the perfect place for dinner I'd like to take her to."

"Not tonight, Dad. I've got plans…" David gave her a look of curiosity, but she remained silent. She wanted to show Trina that her friends could operate in her interests as well and do something good for her, and who better to aid her in this process than Cat herself?

"Aren't you going to be at your teacher's thing?"

"Yes, but I suspect a certain someone is going to be there as well…" Trina might be able to reach Jason tomorrow or the day after, but if it was possible to surprise her by nabbing the boy and bringing him to her, then she wanted to take the opportunity as it came to her. "Trina lost Jason's number on the plane. She's going to get ahold of him through Travis and Lindsay sometime tomorrow, but I thought maybe I'd have him hand delivered to her."

"I don't think I want one of my daughters' boyfriends sleeping overnight in my home."

"Just this once, Dad, trust me. I want her to see that my friends can be good."

"I'm sure there will be plenty of opportunities for that, Tori."

"Of course there will be, and tonight's going to be the first." David brought his hands to his hips and chuckled as she made her way to the stairs. "Meanwhile, I'm going to go ahead and grab my police costume. It's going to be a long night…"

"You're not planning on breaking character tonight, are you."

"Nope. Sorry. I'm not leaving that house until I'm sure Jason has been brought to Trina, and I have won the challenge."

That night the plan was going without a hitch. Everyone was in character and Sikowitz was on fire as well. It wasn't long before the man frightened Robbie enough to make him break character. Unfortunately, as the hours passed, she hadn't seen any sign of Jason, and couldn't break character long enough to actually ask Mr. Sikowitz if he was present.

Cat and the others were waiting anxiously as well, and all of them had been given their instructions on what to do. Cat was going to find an excuse to drag Jason off, and hopefully after breaking character, the girl was going to tell him what was actually happening and where he would be going.

Her other plan that involved Beck wasn't going to happen tonight like she wanted, mainly because of Sikowitz's challenge. It was more of an inconvenience than she first anticipated.

Midway through the night, she saw a man walking from downstairs with a cell phone in hand. The man had short brown hair and an attractive, muscular build. As he was pocketing his cell, Tori and Cat exchanged knowing smirks.

"Who might I ask is this?" Tori raised her nightstick and continued to speak in her fake accent while approaching the startled boy. He raised an eyebrow at her and started to lift his hand when Tori tapped his chest with the stick.

"That would be my nephew," Sikowitz replied slowly, "Jason." Tori flashed a grin and Jason looked horrified as Cat approached him with a faux flirtatious look in her eyes. "Jason, where are you headed?"

"I got ahold of Travis. We were about to check out a movie." He crossed his arms and breathed out slowly. "Lindsay got in touch with-" Cat wrapped her arms around Jason's and he froze. His eyes grew and then snapped into a glare that could make the devil's hair stand on end. "Um hi. Let go of my arm, please."

"I want to go to the movies with you, let's see a movie!"

"No, this is strictly between me and-" Sikowitz spoke above him, signaling Cat as having broken character. Once he banned her from the house, she threw her head back and laughed while yanking Jason towards the door.

"Damn." Sikowitz raised an eyebrow and pulled at his beard. "That girl's stronger than she looks." Tori chuckled twice and threw a handful of raisin bran into her mouth.

All was going according to plan.

Trina lay sprawled out on her bed, still sore and exhausted from the flight and unpacking her bags. Her cell phone was in her right hand and facebook was pulled up on the screen. She'd sent Lindsay a message hours ago to let her know she lost Jason's number and wanted to get in touch with him soon, but she fell asleep before she could see if her friend replied.

A light brushing sensation pulled her hair from her cheek, allowing the cold air of her room to chill her now bare face. Her eyelids fluttered for a moment as the caress travelled down the back of her neck and across her shoulders.

"Trina?" The familiar whisper enchanted her ears and beckoned her to open her eyes. Her lips curled up into her cheekbones and she rolled onto her back to gaze into the strong eyes of her lover.

"Jason? You found me."

"I'll always find you."

She laughed once and raised her arms up. "You're so cheesy, sometimes." The bed shook as he sat on it and leaned over her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him towards her with a sigh. "I didn't get in touch with Lindsay yet. I'm sorry I lost your number."

"It's alright. One of your sister's friends brought me here." A surprised chuckle left her lips. She leaned up after a few seconds to kiss his lips, then fell back onto the mattress. Jason lay beside her, placing an arm over her stomach. "Glad they did."

"Same here. I wouldn't have thought they'd do that." She cuddled against his chest and moved her head against his neck while pressing her palms against his abdomen. "Which one?"

"Uh, the weird redhead."

"That's Cat. She's the nice one."

"Oh. Good." He moved his protective arms around her, holding her close and tight. "I love you." Jason kissed her on the forehead and she let out a content sigh.

"I love you too. I hope I'm not keeping you from anything."

"Well, Travis and I were going to catch a movie. I told him where I was at and his words were 'you'd better stay with your girlfriend, we'll catch the movie another time'." His body shook a bit as he chuckled. Trina's smile grew and she closed her eyes.

She didn't want him to give up spending time with his friend to be with her, yet she couldn't help but to get caught up in this moment with him to cuddle and fall asleep in his arms.

Perhaps Tori was right, maybe her friends would surprise her. Only time would tell.

* * *

A little rushed, but Trina's back in town. Do you think Jason will be able to help Beck out? What else comes this way.


	21. Can't Fix Everything

Closing the Gap

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 21 (Can't Fix Everything)

Tori waited outside Trina's bedroom door the next morning, hoping to talk to her. She wanted to talk to Jason a well, and was certain he was still in there, but didn't know what to say.

So many thoughts raced through her head as to what she wanted to deal with, but she was going to need to ease into the discussion. When it came to talking about Jason's father and a brother he may or may not have ever known existed, she knew the best way to do that would be to go through the girlfriend. Trina may know best how he'll react, and she can approach him with a certain softness that another woman can't do.

Beyond that Tori just wanted to meet Jason officially; she had questions for this man.

Movement was heard coming from inside, followed by Trina's voice, so she was aware they were awake. She raised her hand up to the door when she heard someone else call out to her. When she looked over, she was surprised to see Ian approaching.

"Ian, I didn't know you were coming over."

He extended his hands and did a small bow. His mouth twisted to a smirk and his eyebrows rose. "I wanted to surprise you. Plus, when you said you were going to introduce yourself to Trina's boyfriend, I just had to come and see the 'myth' for myself." She stifled a laugh and walked towards him, hugging his waist. "It's good to see you."

"You too." Her hands moved to the arms wrapped around her and closed over his wrists as she raised herself up to kiss him. "I love you." He kissed her back and looked up at her sister's bedroom door.

"So, I suppose before you go interrupting whatever your sister and her boyfriend are doing in there…" Her face turned bright red and she peered over her shoulder. "How did everything go last night? Did you guys manage to talk to Beck?"

Her shoulders dropped and a heavy sigh flew from her lips. "Not much." Ian frowned and tilted his head gently, looking almost in pittance at her. "Once Cat left to drag Jason over here, everything started going downhill. Plus, we couldn't really talk to Beck without breaking character."

"I see. How bad did it get?"

"Jade burned her hand on the stove, Andre's grandmother showed up and dragged him off. Robbie fell for Sikowitz's 'fall through the window' trick." Ian chortled. "I fell asleep after a while." She picked at his shirt collar, adjusting it a bit while teasing him with a smirk. "Started dreaming about you." His eyebrows rose gently.

"Is that so?" She pushed her body against his, rubbing up along his chest as she closed her eyes. She could feel the muscles in his arms tighten around her, holding her safe and secure. "Well I was thinking about you last night, wondering how you were doing. It's nice to know you were thinking about me too."

He sounded a little off, which she found strange considering her teases usually warranted a more playful reaction. "Is everything okay, Ian?" She looked up with a pouted lip and furrowed her brow at the humored look in his eyes.

"Oh everything's fine, but um, we're being watched." Her blood ran cold and she spun around so fast that she nearly fell to the ground.

Trina was leaning her right shoulder against her bedroom door frame, her arms were folded across her abdomen and her shiny peach colored lips were tilted into an upwards smirk. Tori could feel the girl's watchful eyes peering through her, as if she were transparent.

Behind Trina stood Jason, who was more than a head taller than her. Tori was taken in by his stern, yet bemused expression. Trina rolled her head to the right and leaned it back, setting it gently onto Jason's chest. "Oh don't stop on our account," she said, "By all means. Continue."

It hit her that she hadn't come clean with Trina about her relationship, and she was struck dumb for a moment, stumbling over her words. "Trina, I-" When it came to being overprotective, Trina had always been as bad as David, if not worse. "I um, you remember Ian?"

"Yes." Trina lowered her arms and walked forward, shifting her eyes from Tori to Ian. "I remember him being nothing more than close friends with you…"

"Yes well, we're dating."

"I can see that." Trina laughed openly and her eyes started to squint. Lines stretched out from their corners and the girl's thin eyebrows rose beneath her bangs. "I'm glad to see you two dating, did you start over the summer?" Her voice was light and chipper, catching Tori off guard.

It was the first time she saw her sister truly happy in a long time. Her body was open, and Trina seemed to be light on her feet. There was absolutely nothing to indicate depression or insecurity. Hell, Trina was practically glowing.

"Are you happy, Trina? You look so different. Did Jason do that?"

Trina reeled her head back, stammering over a confused response. Tori's heart swelled as she watched her sister's cheeks turn red. "Camp did that." Trina cleared her throat and turned to glance at Jason. "While Jason might have factored into that equation…"

"'Might have'?" Jason approached Trina with a smirk and cast a knowing gaze upon her. "I 'might' have played a role?" Trina's right arm folded over her stomach and she raised her left hand, coughing nervously into it.

"Oh you played your part." Trina leaned back into the man's body, grinning as his powerful arms wrapped around her abdomen.

Tori couldn't help but to gaze in awe at the couple. While she wanted to talk to Jason, to know if he was taking care of Trina and, she saw everything she needed to see.

"You know." She moved towards the couple, looking into Jason's eyes with strong certainty. "So long as you're making her happy and treating her well, then you're okay in my book. Don't ever hurt my sister." He nodded and Trina rolled her head sideways, peering at Tori with a careful smile.

Still keeping her composure, she put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. "I mean it. I may not look like much, and there's no doubt you're stronger than I am; but if you ever hurt my sister, I can and will bring you to your knees." There was a good deal of respect in Jason's eyes, and though he said nothing in response, she could see that he understood.

Trina pulled away from him, turning her eyes from Tori and onto Ian. "Well Tori, what about you?" Tori dropped her hands and followed her sibling's protective gaze. "Does Ian treat you right? Are you happy, and why didn't I know you two were dating?"

"Because I kept it a secret for a very long time. From everybody." Trina's mouth fell open. Tori moved beside her lover and set her head down on his right shoulder. "I love him, he loves me, and yes I am very happy."

"Your friends? Did they know?"

"No. You know there's a big part of my life that I had always kept from them. My love of science. My boyfriend." She wrapped her arm around her boyfriends and leaned up to kiss his cheek. "I told them. I think I mentioned that in a letter. I told them everything."

Trina crossed her arms. Her left foot pushed forward and her head leaned back. "How did they handle it?" The girl hummed into the air and Tori chuckled. "Were they angry? Judgmental? Hostile?"

"Surprisingly, they were more upset that I _hadn't_ told them anything. They didn't care that I preferred science to music, they didn't care that I have the best boyfriend in the world and he can't stand the theater." She squeezed Ian's arm and he started to laugh.

"I don't hate the theater. I just have other things I'd rather worry about, like my career and education." Her eyebrows curled into the center and she gave his arm a gentle tug. He smirked and kissed the nape of her neck. "And my girlfriend of course."

"Of course." Tori released him and turned shyly towards her sister. Even though Trina's letter was indicative that the girl would stay home for college, she didn't know for sure what Trina's plan was. "Trina, can we talk?"

Trina's mouth slid into an oval and her hands rose to her waist. "Sure." She pat Jason on the shoulder and flashed a sweet smile. "Could you men give us a moment?"

"Certainly." Jason extended his hand to Ian, and Ian responded with a handshake. Tori could almost see the muscles in their forearms and hands shifting in the handshake. The two men walked off to talk to each other, giving the sisters some space for privacy.

The girls watched them depart, already chatting about their respective interests. "They might be fast friends," Tori said with a laugh. "I hope so."

"It'd be a good thing if they got along." Trina leaned against the wall, taking a casual position while lacing her fingers and hands together over her abdomen. "So." She crossed her right foot over her left and started to smile. "How long?"

Tori pushed her hand through her hair and closed her eyes, feigning ignorance. "'How long', what?"

"You and Ian."

"Several years. We kept it secret at first because of our age and how strict Dad was, and it just stayed that way." She pushed her fingers into the pockets on the back of her jeans and swayed forward, peering at the heads of their boyfriends as they departed down the stairs. "Then my friends came along, and I was just afraid they'd start treating him like they did you. I was always afraid they'd be judgmental, but I guess I was the one being judgmental of them."

"Not so much judgmental on your part, you were only basing that fear on how you knew they acted. So you're in the right to feel like they would have judged him for not being a part of anything 'artistic'."

"Yeah, but that's just it. Science can be artistic in many ways." Tori licked her lips and clapped her hands together as a rush of excited passion entered her blood. "I've always loved the colors that mixing different potions together creates. Then, you remember the butterflies? How beautiful they are when they finally spread their wings."

"Yeah." Trina's eyes glazed over and her smile grew. "I remember our talk over that thing."

Tori stopped herself, knowing this wasn't what she wanted to discuss. She lifted her hand and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Anyway, Trina. I, um, wanted to know…when you go to the UCLA…"

Trina's smile faded and her lips flattened together. "Yeah?" Tori's hand dropped to her neck and brushed towards the back, warming her now clammy skin.

"What are you going to do? I don't want you to leave home. You don't have to live on campus."

"Tori." Trina's cheeks puffed up as she blew out a heavy breath. The girl pushed herself from the wall and shook her head. "I can't promise not to leave home. If I can afford housing, I'm leaning towards it." Her heart stopped and the air seemed to be sucked from the room.

"But-"

"I still don't know, okay? Your friends, I still haven't seen this 'transformation' you talk about, and I don't need the stress of them putting me down every time I step into the room. I still haven't seen this change in Mom and Dad that you say happened, so I can't honestly tell whether or not they even want me around-"

"They do!"

Trina closed her eyes and cast a sad smile. "We'll see, Tori. Sometimes, you can't fix everything." Suddenly, she was overcome with exhaustion. It was enough to send her crashing to the ground in a fit of tears, but she held her position.

"Look, Tori, I love you very much and I always will." Trina raised her hands to Tori's upper arms. Tori chewed the corner of her lower lip and dropped her gaze to the ground, scared that she'd start to cry if she made eye contact.

She wasn't angry so much as hurt that she didn't know whether or not Trina wanted to stay, but she couldn't blame her sister for not trusting her friends or their parents. All these years, both of them had gone through hell with all of the above; it was only right that one of them might pull away from the toxic thing.

"You're my sister, sisters take care of each other, and no matter how far apart we are you need to know that I'll always have your back." Tori's eyes welled up with tears as she raised them to Trina's.

"I know." Her voice cracked. She hugged her sister and buried her face into Trina's chest. "I just don't want to lose you."

"You couldn't lose me even if you tried."

"Just promise that no matter what you decide, we'll still be in touch."

"Don't even worry, you know I will." Trina pulled back and wiped away a stray tear on Tori's cheek. The sensation of her thumb tickled Tori's cheek and sent a wave of warmth through her, calming her nerves. She smiled gently and sniffed for a moment. "Oh, just wait until you meet my friends. Of course, you've met Lindsay before, but Travis? He's a riot!"

"I can't wait." She was eager to see the pair, but nervous as well. She was certain that like Jason, they probably learned about her friends through Trina, so talking about her friends was something she wasn't sure how to bring up. "Do they know how the others are, by the way?"

"Who, your friends? Yeah, I told them a bit, but not much. Jason knows more, but he's willing to talk to them and be cordial. He's capable of self-control, so…" She furrowed her brow and when she recalled what she initially needed to talk about, her heart sank.

"I'm not so sure if that remarkable self-control he has is going to stay for much longer." She laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her neck as Trina's expression turned to concern. "Um, there's something he doesn't know that I should bring up with you, because I don't think anyone else can really talk to him about this."

"What's going on?"

"It's about Beck."

"What does Beck have to do with Jason?" Tori turned her sister around and pushed her into her bedroom. Trina started to protest, but when they reached her bed, she sat and folded her hands in her lap. "Tori, what's going on?" Trina's voice was stern and her forehead started to wrinkle.

Tori shut the door behind her and pressed her back and palms against it. "Does Jason know anything about his birth father?" Trina's shoulders fell and her hands flew to grip the edges of the bed tight with her fingertips.

"Y-Yes. Hector was…not a good man. Why?"

"I figured. You know, Beck never knew his real dad until this summer." Trina squinted and turned her head slightly. "Um, apparently Beck was the result of an extramarital affair between his mother and a man who was not only married but had a young son."

"What are you saying?"

Tori shut her eyes, feeling the sweat as it ran down the side of her face. "Hector Tyler is Beck's father." The room grew silent and the air felt cold against her bare skin. When she opened her eyes, she saw her sister grow pale and start to shake her head in disbelief. "I wouldn't say that if I didn't know for a fact. Beck is Jason's brother."

"How? What do you have that makes you arrive at that?"

"Well for one, when Beck discovered he had a brother who was going to college at UCLA, he dragged me along to study the man's room." Trina cupped her chin with her hand and bowed her head. "His roommate was a slob, but knew his phone number, and that phone number led directly to you and Jason…"

"Oh god."

"Furthering that, Beck found his birth father." Tori walked towards her nightstand and reached for the digital camera sitting beside the lamp. "I took a picture of the two together."

"I'm not sure what the man looks like, but if Beck's getting involved with the guy and he really is Jason's dad-"

"He is really not a good man. Beck's changing. Majorly." She picked up the camera and turned around. "If anyone knows how to save him, it's Jason." Trina nodded back and raised her head. She frowned and had an uncertain look in her eyes.

"There's no guarantee Jason will even want anything to do with them. He did get that call from someone claiming to be his 'brother', and if that was Beck, then I believe you. I just don't know if he even wants a brother."

"Maybe not." Tori shrugged and spread her arms out to the sides. "Maybe he wants little to do with someone born from an affair his dad has."

"His dad is a dangerous man, Tori. Maybe at the very least, Jason knowing how bad his father is, he wouldn't want someone else to go through the things he's gone through." Trina took a deep breath and it came out shakily. "I'll try to talk to him."

"It's the least we can do, right?"

"I guess, but it probably wouldn't even be easy. I mean, he's not going to want to believe any of this. Still, if you're right, then doing nothing is probably the worst idea."

It wasn't an easy situation, and there was a chance they wouldn't be able to fix something as serious as this, but she had to try. She couldn't let one of her friends fall so heavily knowing there was a chance to save him.

* * *

Well, what are your thoughts? A lot happened in this chapter. The sisters finally came together and met the other's boyfriend, things were discussed. How do you think everything will pan out? Then towards the end, what do you think about the situation with Beck? Is it too late, or can he be helped before Hector drags him down any further?


	22. Recipe for Disaster

Closing the Gap

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

* * *

Chapter 22 (Recipe for Disaster)

The rest of the day had been one of rest, where Tori spent most of it watching classic movies with her sister. Trina and David went out for dinner that evening; so with nothing else to do, Tori went to bed early.

The next morning she awoke to the sound of an old familiar tune and rubbed her eyes while trying to figure it out. Descending the stairs, the music was clear and she heard the sound effect of an action theme. "Is that the Powerpuff Girls playing?" She raised her eyebrows and rounded the post, looking at the couch with wide eyes.

Her father was sitting on the couch, muttering under his breath as Trina sat beside him, laughing uproariously. On the television screen were the three girls: Blossom, Buttercup, and Bubbles. "Like I said," Trina began, "Be thankful I didn't go with Sailor Moon. You'd have me singing the theme song all day."

"Yeah." He sighed and shook his head. "That might be more than I could endure." Tori folded her forearms and raised her right eyebrow. This was a familiar scene, but one that hadn't happen in years.

"Did Dad lose a bet?" She walked forward and watched her sister turn partially around. Trina was grinning from ear to ear and had a chipper look in her eyes.

"Yep!"

"Oh." The two often made bets with one another, but that was when Trina was a young girl. "So what happened at dinner last night?" She curled her index finger under her nose and smirked playfully. "Was that where this bet took place?"

"Yep, we tried to out eat the other. I lasted longer, and so I don't have to watch G.I. Joe for a day." David turned his head and rolled his eyes.

"Since I lost, I have to watch this cartoon for a day." David looked like a child that didn't get its way, so Tori was amused and entertained. "A Powerpuff Girls marathon-Jesus I couldn't get the theme music out of my head when the two of you were kids."

Tori walked around the couch and sat beside her sister. "You could have had some mercy on him Trina, and let him watch the Japanese anime version. At the very least that isn't as girly."

Trina flung her hair back and shook her head. "Nope, that wouldn't have been as fun." This was true. The fun part of every bet was watching the loser suffer, and their father hated this particular cartoon because of how often Trina watched it growing up.

She draped an arm around Trina's shoulder and crossed her legs. "What did Jason do all yesterday, by the way? I know he left early after talking to dad. Which-" She paused and leaned forward, glancing past her sister and at her annoyed father. "How did that conversation go?"

David's hand was curled near his chin and his right ankle was resting atop his knees. His eyes slid to the corners and his shoulders rose. "Good. Jason seems like a good young man. I approve."

"Yeah." Trina pushed her hands down her legs and sank into the back of the couch. "As for what else he did, he's been filing to move to another room after seeing how badly of a mess his roommate left the apartment in. Travis's is getting in, so they're trying to get to where they have each other as roommates."

"That's great." She was happy to hear the news, and hoped they would manage to get a room together. "I've been thinking. We should have a get together, all of our friends in the same place." Trina jerked her head up and David started to laugh.

"All of them? Under the same roof?" Trina's skepticism came as no surprise, but Tori wanted to do this in a way as if ripping off a band-aid. "Travis, Lindsay, Jason, and all of your friends…that's-"

"A recipe for disaster," David interrupted. The man dropped his hand to his knee and flashed a toothy grin. "Can I watch this?"

"Watch what?" Holly's tired voice entered the room and the trio turned to see the woman in her pajamas and robe, which was open and loosely tied around her waist. She was rubbing her left eye and yawning. "Besides that children's show…could you turn the volume down?"

"Sure, honey." David struck the pause button on the remote and stood up. "The girls are talking about putting all their friends together under one roof." Holly dropped her hand and her blank stare turned slowly to one of concern and doubt.

"Oh my, you girls might want a cop _and_ nurse around for that."

Trina started to snicker. Tori had to admit, her parents being around might help just in case someone decided to tear someone else apart. "Yeah, we could use a referee just in case." She didn't think anything bad would happen; but knowing Travis was a boxer and Jason was a powerful martial artist with little respect for the people that bullied his girlfriend in the past, it would be better to have their parents around just in case.

That evening her radical plan was underway. Holly's department was having a charity dinner at an exclusive dinner, and she was able to twist her boss's arm to let her daughters invite their friends as guests. Typically only family members and their dates were allowed, which meant Ian and Jason could be there legitimately with reserved seating placement.

All of Tori's friends, as well as Travis and Lindsay, would have to secure their own table and pay a percentage of their meals as unofficial guests.

Tori took careful precautions to make it seem elegant enough for them, placing nameplates for her friends on a large rectangular table made up of four tables pushed together by the restaurant staff. The table was on the other side of the room as her mother's department dinner, so as not to distract or be distracted. It was also in the line of vision of their parents, so if anything got out of hand, one of the two parents could step in.

Through her careful placement, she and Trina took the two seats at the 'head' of the table, with their backs facing the back wall. Ian was to her right, with his back to the company dinner guests while Jason was seated beside Trina with his back to the side wall.

Those with their backs to the wall, aligned beside Jason and outwards were Travis, Lindsay, and Beck. Those beside Ian were Cat, Robbie, and Jade. Andre was seated at the foot of the table.

This arrangement was simple in her mind: Cat, Robbie and Jade were unlikely to take off running at the first sign of trouble and would be more or less neutral. None of the 'negative' members of the group would be in arms reach of Jason or his friends.

Beck wouldn't be able to easily escape with his back to the wall, and Andre was the most likely to keep him in place should he get upset over anyone bringing up or mentioning his birth father.

Finally, the public venue was the best for ensuring everybody kept on their best behavior.

"It's good to see all of you," Tori said as everyone settled into their seats. She had a sly grin on her face and watched her friends with curious eyes.

"I didn't have much of a choice," Beck stated plainly. His words cut like a knife, but she let them roll off her shoulders. Jade shot him a look and he shrugged while grabbing a dinner roll. "What? I had to turn my dad down because Jade was close to having a panic attack if I didn't come."

Jason looked down the table at him, shaking his head with disapproval and pittance. Trina mentioned having spoken to Jason about the possibility that Beck may be his brother, and how Hector was becoming an influence in his life.

According to her, Jason didn't take it too well and didn't believe it at first. He didn't think highly of Beck, but at the same time, Trina stated that he 'didn't want anyone being influenced by Hector'.

"Well." Jason grabbed his knife and began to cut through a dinner roll. "It is _nice_ to officially meet the lot of you." Tori could see his teeth grinding through the slit in his lips, and his narrow eyes seemed focused on the roll as if it were something he were attempting to kill.

Trina set her hand onto his wrist. Tori raised her hands up, clasping them together before her and grinning at Travis and Lindsay. "Travis, it's really good to finally meet you." Travis tipped his hat in reply, and Lindsay's eyes filled with pride. "Lindsay, you too, I'm really glad to see you. It's been way too long."

"Oh it has!" Lindsay waved her hand through the air. It was beginning to feel like they were at a debutante ball of some sort where everyone had to act fancy-of course each of them looked the part. The restaurant was formal, so the men were in tuxes while the women wore their finest dresses and jewelry. "Tori, how have you been?"

She could see a fire in Lindsay's eyes, and a stiffness in her body. Gauging from prior experiences, she knew the girl was holding something back. "Pretty well, really. I've been thinking very seriously about colleges, but I'm not decided. I know a few with really good science programs I want to go to…" Lindsay had yet to make eye contact with any of her friends, and was talking far too nicely for comfort.

Years ago, Lindsay was the daring and challenging one. She was the tough one that handled anyone that put down her friends. Perhaps asking her to hold her tongue and to give this group a chance was like digging a knife deep into her gut.

This wasn't a situation where she needed to protect her best friends, nor was it a situation where Jason-or Ian for that matter-needed to defend anyone's honor. It was an all too tense situation requiring all those in attendance to put aside differences for the time being and get to know one another.

At the same time, she was worried. It felt all too much like high school cliques coming together, and war was about to be on the horizon. In one corner were the athletes: Jason, Travis, Lindsay, and Trina. In the other corner were the artsy kids: Jade, Beck, Andre, and Robbie. Cat, the wild card, then finally Tori and Ian were the 'nerds'.

It unfolded like that of a picture show in Tori's mind. There was already bad blood between the two gangs. The arts gang drew blood messing with the girl of the top athlete, the wild card and the science nerds had to play mediator, with a cop and nurse watching on from afar.

The shifty glances and the baited breaths were almost too much to bear, and the stench of sweat filled the air as fear gripped the hearts of all who watched on while anticipating the first move. The wrong action, the wrong word, and blood might spill.

For a brisk moment, Tori wondered if this get together was actually a bad idea, or poorly timed at the very least.

"So Jason." Tori glanced at Jade, the first to speak up after lingering seconds of silence. Jade bit down on a bite of her steak, and swallowed after a few chewing motions. "How long have you been involved in martial arts."

"Since I was a kid," Jason replied. If he appeared to be short, it was simply who he seemed to be. Tori raised her eyebrows and watched Jade with baited breath, hoping the girl wouldn't expect him to say much more.

He wiped his mouth and cleared his throat. "You must be into theater and all that stuff, right?"

"I guess. It's fun, but I'm really not sure if it's what I want to do with my life."

"Oh."

"I wouldn't mind learning to box," Andre chimed in. Tori was shocked to hear anything from him, much less that he would be interested in learning combat technique. Jason flashed a smirk and pointed at Travis.

"That's the guy you want to talk to for boxing techniques. Kickboxing mostly." Travis removed his hat and carefully set it under his chair.

"I've been kickboxing most of my life. If it's something you want to learn, sure I wouldn't mind teaching you." The man's gaze grew sharp and his eyebrows began to close, pushing up a wrinkle between them. "So I know Jason and Lindsay have been asked not to say anything…" Tori froze, her eyes drifted to her sister, who exchanged a similar nervous look. "They don't want an argument to start, nobody does, but I have to ask."

Jade remained calm while the others amongst her group appeared to visibly pale. "Yes?" She asked.

"Now I don't mean this in a derogatory manner." Travis had a Texas drawl and a deep voice that could draw anyone in, and potentially lure them into a false sense of security. His demeanor was polite, and his voice was soft as velvet. "I understand that you and your friends are-were-a bit on the bullying side." The air grew thick, and Tori's fingers constricted around her silverware, shaking them fiercely beside the plate.

He twisted a degree and placed his hand to his chest. Jade closed her eyes while Andre, Robbie and Cat turned their heads to her. "Now I don't know everything, but my girlfriend's best friend and my best friend's girlfriend happens to be Katrina…so that involves me. You can understand my concern."

"Right." Jade let out one nervous chuckle and pat her lips gently with the tip of her napkin. "I understand completely. You're right, we did pick on her. A lot. Tori too, we'll own up to it."

"I can respect that, but I have to ask. You say you're friends of theirs, though I'm confused; if you are friends, why do you not act as such?"

"Because we were ignorant." Jade opened her eyes and shrugged. "We didn't know a lot, not we opened our eyes and are getting to know Tori more. Starting over." Travis cupped his chin and nodded once. "We want to get to know her, we want to get to know Trina, and to be honest about it. We are trying…" Jade looked over, smiling faintly at the sisters. "And we want to be given a chance."

"I see. Well, perhaps we will get to know the lot of you as well on a more personal level."

"We'd appreciate that."

Tori felt her exhale rush through her and roll from her lips. Her body sank in the chair, relieved to see Jade not getting defensive and none of the others getting agitated. It was surely a first, but a good sign that things might be able to work between the group.

"I agree," Jason remarked while tearing a piece of meat from his fork. His eyes darted to Beck and his head rolled to the right. "Should be interesting to get to know you as well, Beck…" Beck froze up and made eye contact, but kept quiet. "I'm sure we have a good deal to talk about."

* * *

So we see who won that bet in the end of Metamorphosis, and now we see interaction between Jason, Trina and the rest. Any thoughts?


End file.
